The Lucky Seven
by Silver Sin of The Cosmos
Summary: They say seven is a lucky number. That it brings luck, happiness, and prosperity. As the years go by, these children will learn that they are all lucky. Luck comes in many shapes and sizes; they never knew how pint-sized it could be, though. A different take on the tale of the girl who overcame time and the boy who was just overcome. (Rating may change in later chapters) AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

So, I got this idea from seeing a fanart drawn by someone, and just suddenly got a lightbulb.

Also, this thing here (...) will indicate a line break or scene change of some kind. It may also be used as a time skip indicator. Just letting you guys know ahead of time. I post updates and progress reports on Tumblr, my handle is therebelachemist, no spaces and no capitals. Anyone familiar with the Vampire Academy/Bloodlines franchise will understand the name.

And now, without further a-doo-doo, I give you, The Lucky Seven.

Chapter one: The Child

* * *

Sometimes, Jakotsu wonders what opiates Bankotsu manages to get himself into when he's out. "Bankotsu?" Maybe he hit his head or something; himself or Bankotsu, he wasn't quite sure at this point anymore. There's no other possible explanation for what the seven-and-a-half year old has come across just now.

"Yep?"

"What is this?"

"Oh. It's a baby."

"I know _that_," Jakotsu retorts, sitting down to stare at the odd child. She appears to be human, about two years old most likely, with short black hair and chocolate brown eyes. The small human stares up at him before grinning a gap-toothed smile and reaching up for him with her pudgy hands. His face wrinkles in disgust. "But what is it doing **here**, with us? Where are its parents?"

The black-haired boy shrugged, giving the little girl one of his fingers to play with. "Dunno. Just found the kid on the side of the road, all alone." Either oblivious to or ignoring the hidden meaning in his brother's words, Jakotsu continues to inspect the child. The baby is a girl, he wants to shudder in revulsion, wearing only a dirty yellow kimono stained with blood and soot and a child-sized loincloth. Jakotsu held in a sigh. Why did this useless brat have to be a _girl_? Holding back a scoff, the young boy turns away, finding it easier to ignore the child than trying to convince Bankotsu why killing the kid is a much better idea. Perhaps Suikotsu will be the voice of reason once again and force Bankotsu to get rid of it. A figure in the distance makes Jakotsu smile savagely. Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear.

"_Suikotsu!_ You won't **believe** what Bankotsu's done this time!" Jakotsu sang merrily, dancing around the thirteen year old.

"I think I have an idea," The boy says, watching as their leader plays with the two-year-old girl. _'Of course,'_ He sighs to himself. _'__This is just like last time.'_

Suikotsu sighs, crouching down and staring at the child with gentle, but stern, eyes. "Bankotsu, the duck was one thing. This is taking it a bit far." He could still very clearly remember the day Bankotsu had come back to camp with a duck trailing faithfully after him, giving the older boy one of the brightest smiles ever.

Bankotsu gave his brother a wide grin, holding up the giggling child. "But you didn't complain about the duck! Come on, look at how adorable she is!" He countered. As if to confirm the 'I'm cute!' claim, the toddler gurgles happily and stretches out her arms to the spiky-haired boy.

"**That's** because a pack of wolves ended up eating the duck within hours of you bringing it back." The boy sighed. "Look, you should put the child back where you found it. I bet the mother is looking for it."

"But it's not an it, it's a she. And I found the kid on the side of the road, no parent in sight. Come on, let's just give her a trial run. If she doesn't end up being useful, _then_ we can kill her." Bankotsu propositions. He holds the little girl up so he and the child are side by side, giving Suikotsu nearly matching puppy-dog eyes. Jakotsu looks thrilled by the possibility of killing the child. "Don't you feel a connection? I found her all by herself, with no one to turn to. She has no one left, if she had any to begin with, and **_we_** didn't have anyone until we found each other."

Staring into the hopeful eyes of his brother and the innocent, expressive orbs of the child, Suikotsu sighs. _'Bankotsu is going to be the death of me; I'm sure.'_ Stifling a sigh, Suikotsu wonders if going gray early is serious. "Hurry up, we're leaving now."

Of course, this statement brought on a whole new predicament, when Bankotsu paused to think of how he'd carry both Banryu and the child. Jakotsu refused to touch the infant even with a fifty foot pole if it didn't involve killing the poor orphan. Suikotsu, while having a fair degree of knowledge regarding children, couldn't very much hold the child without harming her, due to his clawed weapons that adorned his hands. And so, using the most rudimentary of his skills and his weapons, he rips and tears his suikan until it resembles a very tattered version of a baby sling. For the sake of simplicity and also a lesson to Bankotsu, the long-haired leader of the group is forced to carry the baby in the sling, while Jakotsu and Suikotsu argue quietly in the front of their trio, the doctor calmly refuting every attempt of an argument Jakotsu has to just kill the child.

On the road, they are confronted by a scorpion demon, which they engage in battle with immediately. Jakotsu is tasked with holding the baby, to his utter disgust, while his brothers get to have fun tearing that scorpion limb from limb. He stares down at the child with contempt. "I hope you die here." He whispers to the child. She blinks up at him with wide brown eyes.

Just then, he looks up and notices the scorpion's stinger headed straight for them. He doesn't have time to run. No time to dodge. No time to grab Jakotsuto. _'I always knew kids would kill me. Maybe I can kill this one in the afterlife..'_ The mercenary thinks bitterly to himself. "Jakotsu!" Bankotsu shouts in worry, seeing the stinger headed straight for his friend.

Just as the stinger is within striking range, a bright flash of light surrounds the mercenary and the child, purifying the stinger within seconds. As the flash dies down, it reveals a pinkish-purple barrier surrounding an unharmed Jakotsu and the child.

Bankotsu blinks in shock, before rage takes over at the close-call his friend had, rushing at the demon and slicing its head off with Banryu with ease. Despite being only four-and-a-half years old, he is immensely strong, and killing such a creature is child's play for him. The demon stands for several seconds, before toppling over with an earth-rattling thump.

"How in the hell did that happen?" The leader asks, coming over to his friend.

"I think it was the kid?" Jakotsu responds, seeming unsure of himself as he watches the little girl giggle and reach out for Bankotsu with a half-formed exclamation of his name. Suikotsu, ever the watchful eye, decides to speak up.

"I believe the child has spiritual powers of some sort." He stalks up to Bankotsu, who, despite being covered in blood, cradles the child to his chest.

"We can find out another time. Right now, we have a job to do." Bankotsu says, letting the child shove his finger in her mouth as she grins. Jakotsu looks vaguely sick at the sight.

Only, the unmistakable scent of feces makes all three boys pause, as the toddler whines in discomfort. "Did she just.." Jakotsu trails off, turning his nose up and stalking off, absolutely refusing to deal with it. Suikotsu wrinkles his nose, but doesn't offer to help his brother just yet. This is a lesson better learned first-hand, he decides.

"I'll see what I can do.." Bankotsu says, although he looks like he'd rather do anything but change a diaper. Resolutely, he stalks off with the toddler into the brush.

_Two minutes later_

"OH GOD!"

Suikotsu stifles a snicker, his dark eyes sparkling with mirth. "Bankotsu, would you like me to take over?" He suggested calmly. Unlike his brothers, he had grown up taking care of other children in his previous village, a job which also entailed the occasional diaper change.

"Yeah…" Bankotsu says in resignation from deeper in the forest. Suikotsu takes over, and Bankotsu takes a long, _long_ bath.

One diaper change and a bath later, the brothers reconvene for dinner. Only, they're all stumped on what to feed the child. "None of us can feed her like a woman would." Jakotsu sneers, wondering why they couldn't just leave the kid at a random village or kill her. The look on Suikotsu's face says he knows exactly what is on Jakotsu's mind, and that he doesn't approve. Jakotsu sneers once more and turns his head away, refusing to look at the kid.

At his words, and a sharp look from both Bankotsu and Suikotsu, the leader of the three turns to the actually practical one in their group. While marred by a blood-thirsty double personality, his main frame of mind is that of a peaceful doctor, they know. Which, at this moment, would be fairly helpful. "What?" The doctor asked.

"What's a good substitute for breast milk?" Bankotsu asked, point-blank.

After staring at the boy for several long seconds, Suikotsu scratched the back of his neck. "Well, rice milk is a good substitute for breast milk if the mother is unable to feed or there are no other females able to feed."

"How do you make it?" Bankotsu asked, looking all too ready to find the ingredients.

"Well you take a handful of rice, put it in a mortar and rind the rice into a powder, add water and that will turn it into a milk for the child to drink."

"And that's good? For her to drink?" Bankotsu probes further, holding the little girl in his arms as she shoves her fist in her tiny mouth.

"Assuming she's still young enough to be drinking milk. It may be a lot more difficult if she's outgrown milk, because she still won't be ready for solid food like we can eat. She'd have to have hers crushed or ground into chunks." Inwardly, Bankotsu was absolutely SHOCKED that toddlers didn't drink milk as they grew up, but he refused to show it, so he just nodded. Suikotsu ran into the nearest village and purchased a small canteen of rice milk and heated it up over the fire for the little girl to drink, which she heartily shoved in her mouth and drank away. And that settles that.

After meeting with their client, who was fairly skeptical of the boys' prowess given their young age, the boys decide to use the toddler as a distraction. Bankotsu is elected to act as the child's older brother, searching for a doctor for his sick baby sister. Surprisingly, he's fine with the decision, even giving the little girl a hug and saying that they're brother and sister.

A day and a lot of preparation later, Bankotsu, now disguised as an impoverished village youth in a torn haori and hakama set, staggers up to the castle guards. "Who goes there? Halt!" The guards command as Bankotsu forces tears in his eyes as he takes on the appearance of a distraught child. Playing the victim was never hard for him growing up, and he never had a hard time making himself cry when he needed to. While he preferred a more..._physical _approach, sometimes the emotional one worked wonders, tugging on the heartstrings. It wasn't his favorite method, but damn was it efficient.

"I need help! Please! My sister is very sick, and my village's healer is several villages away!" He turned the toddler in his arms around, to demonstrate how sick she really was. The child had been carefully dusted with rouge on her cheeks and forehead to give the appearance of a fever, courtesy of Jakotsu's makeup, and she had just been fed recently, leaving her tired, lethargic, and dazed-looking.

"Kid, I don't think your sister is gonna make it…" One guard said with uncertainty, eyeing the drowsy toddler with a critical look. He felt for the kid, he really did, but the outcome didn't look very good for his sister. Sickness or injury was a death sentence in this era, no matter how old you were. Sadly, even this little girl wasn't exempt from the possibility of death.

Bankotsu's face pinched tighter with pain, tears beading up in his eyes. "No, please! I can't lose another sibling! My eldest brother died in the last war, and my older sister was killed by a tiger demon! I can't lose any other siblings, Aiko is all I have left!" He pleads, desperation woven thick in his words. Inwardly, the boy gives himself a pat on the back for making up a name for the girl on the fly. He lets himself fall silent, appearing to wind down from his outburst in exhaustion and lost hope as he holds the child close. Though sleepy, the girl's small hand latches onto his haori in a light grip.

Giving his colleague a look, the first guard shifts uneasily. He truly feels for the poor kid, but he doubts that even their healer could help the little girl. Although, one look into the child's bleary chocolate gaze, tired but full of trust, and he is almost instantly reminded of his own daughter. He swallows thickly, hoping he isn't making a rash and stupid decision. And then, his gaze drifts down to the little girl's wrist, where a bracelet rests. The bracelet is made up of black beads with the centerpiece being a pale pink bauble that could fit in the palm of his hand.

"What's with the bracelet on her wrist?" He asks, eyeing the strange accessory. Although this is the first time he's ever even noticed it, Bankotsu is just as quick to come up with a solid excuse.

"It's a gift from our village's headman and his daughter. We found out about a month ago that Aiko has spiritual powers, but they're new and untrained so she has to keep them sealed until she can train them." He says with a defeated air about him. If he wants to complete this job, he has to sell the idea that his sister could die but he doesn't want her to.

The guards gave each other another look. Individuals with innate spiritual power are always needed with as many demons as there are. Losing one, especially if she has potential, is a waste. "Alright.." The first guard concedes begrudgingly, "We'll see what our healer can do for her."

As the guard led Bankotsu inside, he couldn't help but wonder if the others were having such an easy time.

Across the complex, Jakotsu was most definitely having the time of his life. Suikotsu, however, was more cautious in how he got rid of his opponents. Not all missions were about going in guns blazing and taking out whoever you saw first. Some were carefully calculated hits meant to take out only specific people, and one day Jakotsu was just going to have to learn that he couldn't just kill whoever his eyes caught sight of first. "Focus!" He shouted harshly, yanking his claws out of someone's back to give Jakotsu a stern glare. "Stop slicing up everyone in sight and focus on the ones targeted!"

Sticking his tongue out at his brother, Jakotsu beheads _one more _poor sap before actually putting his mind to the mission. He was allowed a little fun, right? Seeing their pained faces made him so excited. He loved the feel of the blood soaking into his sandals and squishing between his toes. Toying with his victims always brought him such pleasure. But, Suikotsu is right, he knows. They can't afford to fail this mission; literally. They're nearly broke. While Jakotsu deals with the targets outside, Suikotsu leaps into the inner castle to wipe out the target there.

He finds the cowardly sap curled up in a shivering ball in a spare closet, eyes wide and terrified. "Well hello there," He greets the man amicably. "I hate to end this so soon, but I'll give your regards to Toshiro. No hard feelings, yes? After all, money is money." Just then, the amiable and serene disposition the boy had gave off disappeared and a bloodthirsty aura overcame him. He raised his claws, and the man never even got the chance to scream before he was dead, crimson liquid spattered against the wall behind him. Suikotsu sighs, shaking the blood off of his claws, wondering if Bankotsu and Jakotsu are done with their parts yet.

Meanwhile, Bankotsu had managed to knock both guards unconscious as soon as they had turned their backs to him, and had been raiding the treasury of the castle while blissfully listening to the echoed screams of agony that surrounded him. With his travel pack now comfortably full of gold and other pricey valuables, the four year old leaves, paying no mind to the hallway that is soaked with the blood of his victims. He makes his way outside to see Jakotsu just wrapping things up, yanking one of the many blades of his Jakotsuto from a corpse. "You both done?" He asks, receiving nods from his brothers. "Cool. I raided the treasury and scored some stuff. Let's head back now."

The boys, blood-soaked and thoroughly pleased, make their way back to their contractor and receive payment now that their job is complete. To celebrate, they stop at a village and Jakotsu swindles a jug of sake. "Great mission!" Bankotsu loudly praises as he raises his cup. His cheeks are just beginning to pinken, and Suikotsu has the good sense to take the jug out of his reach now. "Ya know what? I'm re-really proud of lil' Aiko here. She played her p-part greatly."

"Wonderfully, Bankotsu." The thirteen-year-old corrects.

"So you think so, too!"

"I don't know about tha-" Bankotsu cuts his brother off.

"Ya know, I really think we should adopt her! But what would her name be? Miki? Naw, that's stupid. Harumi? Nah, too bland." Watching the boy violently shake his head in a negative and almost fall down as a result, Suikotsu idly wonders just how tipsy their leader is as he babbles to himself. "Wait!" He suddenly cries out, making Jakotsu jump, "I got it! Aikotsu! It makes sense, right, since all our names end with 'kotsu'? Ban_kotsu_, Sui_kotsu_, Ja_kotsu_, and Ai_kotsu_!"

As Bankotsu cuddles the toddler with a sickeningly happy smile, Suikotsu sighs heavily while Jakotsu pretends to vomit in a bush. Pausing, Suikotsu studies his effeminate brother. Huh. Or maybe he _isn't_ pretending. He isn't quite sure, but he knows Jakotsu can take care of himself. Combat aside, Bankotsu hatches the _worst _plans.

The four-year-old holds the girl up so he is eye-level with her. "Well, baby, I don't know what you were named before, if you had one, but you are now Aikotsu, the baby of the Band of Seven!"

Hearing Bankotsu's enthusiastic declaration, Jakotsu pauses, replayed the words in his mind, and counted his fingers. "Uh, Big Brother? I don't think we can call ourselves the Band of **Seven** if there are _four_ of us." He reminds the younger boy.

Bankotsu shrugged, bouncing a giggling Aikotsu in his arms, ignoring her attempts to grab his nose. "Does it matter? She's one of us; that's all that's important." And on that note, Aikotsu is henceforth given a family she'll never forget.

"Ba..." Aikotsu babbles, concentration contorting her face cutely. "Ba...Ban! Ban!" Then she looked up at the boy holding her with a big grin, proud of herself. Bankotsu smiles widely again, pressing a loud kiss to her forehead.

"That's right, I'm Bankotsu! You're so smart!" He praises his new little sister as she giggles and repeats her favorite new word. Though they don't know it, the cold barriers they've put up around their hearts are already beginning to crumble. It won't be long before this sweet child completely tears those walls down. Unseen, a woman in the forest smiles, a bittersweet quality to it as tears fall down her cheeks. And just like that, she disappears, the small group none the wiser.

...

Miles away, unbeknownst to the four, a man returns home to find a massacre, and his worst nightmare. He takes in the scent of death that permeates the grounds, and lifts his head to roar his agony to the stars as tears stream down his face in an unrelenting river of pain. In the fading light of the sun, he clutches a stuffed toy like a lifeline in a white-knuckled grip.

* * *

WELL THEN

1) This seems like it took _way _too long to write. (I wonder how many pages this is...) Oh, and tell me what you think of The Lucky Seven now that it has finally been uploaded after like several posts on Tumblr teasing it. Lol, sorry guys..!

2) Technically, this first chapter was finished on 11/21/19 at about 5:03 AM. (With edits here and there in the following weeks, teehee! I'm lookin' at you, 12/30/19, you bitch. Catching my dumb ass at 2:50 AM.) Yikes. I need sleep.

3) CUT IT UP by PKCZ(R) featuring CL is the BOMB and I'm so mad I didn't find it earlier. Seriously guys, listen to it. Actually, listen to 2NE1's albums (CL was the leader, it sadly disbanded in 2016. Still mad at YG for that, the prick.). And listen to Minzy's music. And Park Bom's (she features Dara on a lot of her music). And CL's new mini-album called In The Name Of Love. I love the songs. Pretty sure 'DONE' is her sticking it to YG (screw that company, _and _it's _**former **_CEO. *insert shrug emoji*)

See you next chapter!

-FH19


	2. Chapter 2

Well hey there! Welcome back! Chapter two is gonna be awesome! I bet you guys can't guess how it starts off, now can ya? And yes, in case it wasn't clear in the first chapter, Aikotsu _is _Kagome. I'll reveal her backstory within due time, and my sister Da_Wolf_Goddess actually got a sneak peak of what I have written so far. (I needed her to check and make sure a nightmare I had written for Aikotsu wasn't too horrific for a kid her age, and so she also got a free sneak peak pass.) In other news, I do have Aikotsu/Kagome's backstory basically completely planned out, I just have to wait for the right moment to really drop it in your laps. I have left small Easter eggs in the chapters though, let's see if you can pick them all up and piece together the puzzle before the big reveal. Now let's get that boring disclaimer out of the way and head right into it!

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Chapter two: Growing Up Shichinintai

* * *

As Bankotsu soon learned, raising a child _is not _easy. At all. Every so often, Aikotsu would have fits of screaming and crying that just could not be abated. She'd be sleeping peacefully, and then something would happen and she'd scream and flail her tiny arms at something they could not see.

Tonight, however, seems to be one of Aikotsu's easy nights. She's been silent since they put her down an hour ago, and they let out a quiet sigh of relief, deciding to turn in for the night as well. Unfortunately, that peace doesn't last long.

The boys are awoken during the night to the piercing cry of a child, not unusual for them as of late, sadly. Bankotsu groans, rolling over to try and comfort the toddler...

Only to find her small futon empty. The fitful shrieking gets louder in volume, and Bankotsu immediately shot up from his slumber to see a black silhouette in the dark - making off with a screaming child in their arms. It takes barely a second for him to connect the dots before he's grabbing Banryu and running after the masked figure with fury pulsing through his veins. The child cries louder, and then that familiar barrier surrounds her while thunder cracks loudly and the figure is assaulted by a stream of lightning. Bankotsu dives in and snatches the child out of midair and her cries instantly subsided, the barrier beginning to recede. She's completely unharmed, thankfully. In his arms, the little girl sniffles, her big cheeks, still plump with baby fat, flushed red and her eyes wet with tears. She turns around to bury her face in his chest, prompting the boy to absently rub her back with small, soothing motions. "Suikotsu," Bankotsu summons his older brother who blearily stumbles up. "Find out what this piece of trash wanted with Ai."

The next day, Jakotsu is stuck watching the child again, as Bankotsu and Suikotsu are in the next town over buying rice, a pot and a mortar and stone so they can feed the baby on the go. Suikotsu had been utterly **_delighted_ **to interrogate the man who had attempted to kidnap Aikotsu, mostly because her screaming had woken him up. While they got next to nothing useful out of the man, torturing him had been the best fun they've had in forever. Jakotsu sighed just thinking about his delicious screams as Suikotsu had used his claws to remove patches of the man's skin one by one. The effeminate man stares down at the child as she picks small flowers with a carefree look on her face. He's learned through experience that weapons cannot harm her, a seemingly subconscious barrier forms around her when it detects danger that protects her from harm, and it seems to be innate, and perhaps self-aware, something that resides deep within her being that needs no prompting from her to activate. So trying to kill her is useless. He _could _just leave her, he realizes with a grin that contorts the markings on his face. He stands up, watching as the little girl lifts her head to stare at him. "Stay," He orders before stalking off. Aikotsu blinks, but doesn't move and just continues picking flowers, unaware that her bodyguard just abandoned her.

A little over an hour later, Aikotsu has picked a decent amount of flowers, and is now trying to make a flower crown like that one girl a few villages back taught her. Bankotsu was eager to get back to his sister, and had ran ahead of Suikotsu. Bankotsu enters the clearing just in time to see a large figure standing above Aikotsu.

A figure that isn't Jakotsu. "Aikotsu!" He cries, racing forward with adrenaline. Hearing her name, the toddler turns around and begins waving with a laugh and a bright smile at the sight of her big brother. He scoops her up in one arm and points the sharp tip of Banryu at the unknown being, wondering just where in the _hell _Jakotsu is. "Who are you? And what were you planning on doing with my sister?" He asks dangerously, narrowing his eyes at the strange man in front of him. He's easily taller than him, not that height has ever been a deterrent for Bankotsu, with a head of shockingly red hair and tanned skin with metal plates in place of skin. A large plate covers his right eye, eyebrow, and part of his temple, metal braces nailed into his face that stretch down his forehead to his nose. His left eye is surrounded by a strange blue marking, and he has a strange metal mask that covers his entire lower face. Perhaps he'd seen one too many battles? Bankotsu can't help but wonder. Can he even speak?

_"I was wondering why this kid was all on her own." _A raspy, gravelly voice intones. Bankotsu looks back up. So the big guy _can _speak, eh?

"My brother and I were in town, getting some food for her. Our other brother was supposed to be watching her, but, uh...he hates kids." In Bankotsu's arms, Aikotsu is just finishing up her flower crown, having grabbed it while being picked up. Once the final knot is tied, she grins and holds it out for the red-haired guy with the funny mouth. The giant man graciously accepted the gift, and placed it delicately atop his mop of fire-cracker hair. "So, I guess introductions are in order?" Bankotsu says as he finally sees Suikotsu come around the bend and begin to assess the situation. The giant of a man nodded and sat down, which Bankotsu followed, but not before settling Aikotsu on the ground between himself and Suikotsu.

"My name is Bankotsu, this is my brother Suikotsu, and this is our younger sister Aikotsu."

_"My name is Gin." _The gargantuan man says.

As soon as Bankotsu could make out Jakotsu's silhouette in the distance, he glares with a maniacal grin on his face. He holds Aikotsu up in one arm, holding her arm up. "Say 'bye-bye', Aikotsu! Since big brother Jakotsu left you alone, I'm gonna kill him!" Not knowing what he meant, just that he said 'bye-bye', Aikotsu began to eagerly wave her arm back and forth with furious abandon.

While formidable-looking and seemingly insane at first glance, Gin is actually a nice person. True, he's seen more than enough battles, and clearly bears the scars of them, but he is a truly kind man. Incidentally, Gin ended up being a better babysitter and bodyguard then Jakotsu was, though that was probably because he didn't inherently_ hate_ who he was watching over. In fact, Aikotsu took to him as quickly as she had Bankotsu, and he her. Gin absolutely doted on the girl, to the point of spoiling her, treating her as a father would with his child, which seemed oddly natural. He _is_ arguably the oldest in their group, being twenty-four to their thirteen, seven-and-a-half, four-and-a-half, _**and**_ two-and-a-half. Meanwhile, Gin watched over Aikotsu carefully as Bankotsu chewed into Jakotsu, berating the boy, though older, for abandoning his charge to the mercy of others, mercy that was never guaranteed. Bankotsu was well aware that his brother didn't like their sister, but he hadn't even imagined that his dislike would let him willingly abandon her to her own devices without anyone but her barrier to protect her. They still don't know the origins of the barrier, what it does and how it operates, or for just how long it will continue to provide protection for their helpless sibling.

It was maybe a week after assimilating Gin - also bestowing 'kotsu' onto the end of his name, as they had with Aikotsu - into their slowly growing group that Aikotsu found an orphaned nekomatta kitten and brought it back to their camp, giving her brothers that irrefusable puppy-dog eye look of hers. Ginkotsu had instantly said yes, on the condition that she be responsible for feeding it and taking care of it. Bankotsu took a bit more persuasion, but did eventually relent because of how cute she was. Once the cat was deemed hers, she promptly named it Buyo, and the kitten proceeded to follow her everywhere, like a little duckling. She was very serious about taking care of the kitten, despite her young age, and made sure her kitten always had what it needed, be it food or snuggles.

...

At four and a half years of age, Aikotsu is remarkably intelligent and agile, with reflexes stronger than most children twice her age. This, coupled with her inexplicable barrier, is the only reason Bankotsu and Ginkotsu allow their sister to leave their sight without a chaperon. Buyo is a bit of a lazy cat, preferring to nap in the sun unless given a reason not to. Despite this lackadaisical behavior, he will always be loyal and very protective towards Aikotsu. Today, Aikotsu is foraging for food and herbs, dedicated to the task Sui-nii gave her. They're running low on salve, and need more of a specific herb to make more. Grabbing it straight from the source is better than wasting valuable money on it, so she's happy to do this for him if it saves money that they need.

Tongue poking out between her lips in concentration, Aikotsu pulls on a stubborn root, willing it to give in and _just come out!_ A twig snapping just to her right has her abandoning the stubborn herb, putting all her attention on the possible threat. Maybe she should have brought Gin-nii with her, just to be sure.

What greets her is the oddest man she's ever seen. He's not much taller than Ja-nii, but more...rounded, with white clothes that cover every inch of his body other than his eyes, which are lined with the same kind of stuff that's around Gin-nii's eye, only this man's is red and not blue. He stares at her almost uncomprehendingly, before something changes, and the air charges with an odd energy. Aikotsu is on edge now, cautiously watching the man.

She doubles back as he launches forward, yelping in shock. "What's wrong, little girl? Don't you think I'm handsome?" He sounded serious, if not disgruntled and offended. She says nothing, preparing to take herself out of this encounter, herbs or not. She backs up a bit father, just enough to put a good distance between them, just in case. Sui-nii always says to stay away from people she doesn't know. Ban-nii also says to always carry a knife, but she doesn't like weapons. They hurt people, and she doesn't like hurting people. "Why'd you back away? Don't run away, my dear! It's because you think I'm ugly, isn't it?!" He snarls, and grabs a water canteen, undoing the lid and watching as a dark, acrid smoke fills the area. Immediately, the barrier Aikotsu knows so well springs to life, surrounding her and shielding her. The man is at first shocked by the appearance of the shield, and then grows even further confused when the smoke is blocked from entering the barrier.

A loving voice whispers in her ear, _"Run!" _They say in warning. _"Danger!" _Aikotsu takes heed of the warning, though not knowing who the voice is, only to trust it, and races off in the direction of their camp, leaving a poison-smoke filled forest and a disgruntled man in her wake. About halfway there, she bumps into Gin-nii, who immediately swings her up into his arms with a well-practiced maneuver. She quickly and efficiently relocates herself onto his broad back, smiling lightheartedly, having decided to forget the encounter.

"Is lunch ready?" She asks, and receives a nod from her brother. She lets out an exclamation of joy and he carries her back to their camp, unaware of the eyes that follow them from the forest.

The tall man arrives back in their temporary camp, crouching down to let Aikotsu dismount from his large back with a puzzled frown. Bankotsu, who noticed the landing of his sister and her tall red-headed protector, walks up to the black-haired girl with Suikotsu in tow. "You're back early. What happened?" He asks, kneeling down to her level. Aikotsu shrugs and sits down to pet Buyo's fur lovingly.

"I was picking herbs for Sui-nii, and this guy came. He was weird, asked if I thought he was hand...hand..handsome! Yeah!" She smiles, proud that she remembered the word. "He asked if he was handsome, and then he jumped at me. I backed far enough away that he couldn't do anything, but then he got madder and took out a water canteen and opened it. The forest filled with smoke! And my barrier protected me. He seemed confused, and I ran into Gin-nii when I ran away. I had to leave before I could get the herbs. I'm sorry." Aikotsu looks down now, feeling guilty that she failed her job.

Reclined against a tree, Jakotsu snorts. "Sounds like a poison master if you ask me. Maybe an insecure one?" Even though Aikotsu didn't know what insecure meant, she knew she could always just ask Gin-nii or Sui-nii later. The last time she asked what a word meant while Jakotsu was around, he called her stupid. She knows he doesn't like her, and she doesn't really blame him for it, but it still hurts.

Later that day, they are approached by a short man clothed in white. He's stout and clearly surly, but he presents himself with an air of confidence and chipper. Aikotsu isn't exactly fooled, and neither are her brothers. Buyo places himself directly in between the man and Aikotsu, recognizing him as a threat. "My name is Mukotsu. I'm sorry if I startled you, young lady. I was looking for somewhere I could put my expertise to use, and found out that you boys work as mercenaries. I specialize in poison making."

Jakotsu narrows his eyes at the trees in front of him, but doesn't say anything otherwise. After all, Bankotsu makes the rules, and not him. Suikotsu is cautious, as is Ginkotsu, but Bankotsu decides to give him a chance. Aikotsu doesn't say much on the matter, she just edges closer to her brothers. For some reason, she knows something is off, but she doesn't know what that something is. For now they can only wait.

It's hours later, after night has fallen, that Mukotsu slowly opens his eyes, grinning wildly. He sits up noiselessly, glancing around at the boys that surround him. They're all asleep. He grins.

_Perfect._

Slowly and quietly, he pulls himself to his feet, making his way over to the young beauty that sleeps beneath a tree. She is fast asleep in her small futon, a white nekomatta with brown and black spots lying next to her with its fluffy tails placed delicately around her. His black eyes are hungry, beady and glazed over, as he stands over her with the pale moon illuminating his back. He is just about to reach out to her, when a venomous voice hisses a warning from behind him. _"Touch her and die."_ He turns around to see Ginkotsu, the metal-sported man with a mop of shockingly red hair, towering over him imposingly, glaring down at him. He's too shocked to even move.

Ginkotsu strides past him, his presence alone enough to shock the smaller man into obedience, and gently picks Aikotsu up, futon and all, before bringing her back to where he was sleeping, Buyo lazily following and plopping down right next to them. _"Ai,"_ The giant murmurs in the child's ear, earning a tired whine as she's half-roused, _"Bring your barrier up around your brothers."_ Without further preamble, a pink barrier with a reddish tint forms around Aikotsu and stretches, enveloping the nekomatta, Ginkotsu, and Bankotsu and Jakotsu, who are slightly further away. Then she turns over, snuggling further into his arms, and is once more dead to the world in her own little dreamland. Ginkotsu narrows his one eye at the small man staring at them in shock.

_"Try it again and I will kill you myself."_ The giant man threatens. Mukotsu isn't stupid. He's seen the backpack of saw blades that the red-haired man keeps on him, plus the chain and those wires. He gulps, sitting down against another tree and tries to ignore the stare Ginkotsu is burrowing into his head. If looks could kill, he'd certainly be dead by now.

When Mukotsu rouses around mid-morning, he finds Ginkotsu supervising the young girl as she carefully cleaned Banryu for Bankotsu, a big smile on her face. What's shocking is that she's perfectly at ease around the gargantuan weapon, something that intrigues every single one of the boys. Aikotsu is diligent to carefully wash away any and every speck of blood, bringing the blade to a mirror shine. Meanwhile, Bankotsu vaguely wonders just why in the hell Ginkotsu has been giving Mukotsu death glares ever since morning.

Camp is packed up quickly after breakfast and then they're on the road again, to find a priest for guidance, as Bankotsu tells the stout poison master. Apparently Aikotsu is a very powerful little girl, with innate spiritual talent, and they need a professional to give their opinion.

And what a wonderful idea _THAT_ had been. An hour after leaving the village, Bankotsu _still _steams in rage as he marches ahead of the rest, Aikotsu curled up in Ginkotsu's arms as she clings to his neck like a lifeline, her cheeks uncomfortably dry from her salty tears. Needless to say, the meeting with the priest HADN'T gone well. Upon discovering just how powerful she was, the priest they had consulted insisted that they give her up and have her live in the village to be properly trained as a priestess. Bankotsu had immediately told the man what he thought of that, with a firm punch to the face, and it had all gone to hell from there. Ginkotsu had instantly swooped up Aikotsu, who had all but dissolved into tears as soon as she grasped the severity of the situation. Now, as their feet stomp the dirt path away from that hell site, Ginkotsu gently rubs his non-robotic arm up and down her back methodically in an attempt to calm her down enough that her barrier recedes.

Bankotsu is still uncomfortably quiet, although he does allow Suikotsu to check up on his shoulder, which a villager had struck as punishment for punching the priest. It ached, and Suikotsu tells him point blank that it's going to leave a nasty bruise, but he still doesn't cry. Bankotsu never cries, Aikotsu realizes. And she was bawling like an infant only an hour ago. None of her brothers cry, and yet she does. Is there something wrong with her? Why is she the only one who cries? Maybe she's weak. That's what Ja-nii always says when he's made to keep watch over her.

They stop for lunch once they feel they're far enough away from the village, and Ginkotsu goes off to hunt. Bankotsu gives his sister a small smile, but he's still too mad to engage much. Jakotsu honestly doesn't care, although he got a sick sense of amusement from Aikotsu's distraught face and her tears, no matter how loud she was. To distract herself, she decides to play for a while. Together with Buyo, they go collect some water from a nearby stream, and some firewood, bringing it back and starting a decent sized fire thanks to Buyo momentarily transforming and using his paws to light the kindling. Once her pot of tea is on the fire and boiling, she brings out her favorite cups that Suikotsu got for her on her birthday. Well, they didn't really know her birthday, so they just made it the day they'd found her. Suikotsu keeps a diligent eye on her and Bankotsu, berating the boy when he strains his muscles too much.

Mukotsu, who had been keeping himself separate from the group, for fear of what the boys would do if Ginkotsu told them what he'd tried to do last night, was shocked to see Aikotsu standing over him, a cup in her hand and a smile on her face. Her smile wasn't the way it usually is, more worn-down, but it was still her smile. "Tea?" She asks, waiting for him to take the cup. He accepts it numbly, watching her settle down and her neko curl up in her lap. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sad because no woman wants me. They all think I'm ugly or weird."

She tilts her head but doesn't interrupt him.

"Only my mother has ever loved me. She's the only woman that's ever loved me, that I've ever respected." He says, taking a sip of the tea. He sighs, feeling an unheard of feeling of peace wash over him.

"I'm sure someone loves you!" She rebukes optimistically. "You just can't lose hope!"

For some strange reason, that look of childlike hope in her eyes makes him feel ten times better.

...

"Hey Toshiro, look!" Aikotsu blinks as she picks up on the whispered call. She squeaks as Jakotsu jostles her shoulder as he passes, hissing at her to get a move on. Ignoring the jibe, she continues to follow at a slow pace while keeping an ear tuned into the gossip. Her brothers, herself, and Mukotsu had stopped in yet another village for a bit of supplies and were only just leaving. Suikotsu had purchased fresh parchment paper and ink along with a brush for her to practice with since she'd run out recently.

"Yeah?"

"Look at that weird guy in white with those other five people. Doesn't he look weird?"

"He's so short."

"And fat." Aikotsu frowns as she hears yet another person join in. She looks ahead of her to where Mukotsu is, and she sees his shoulders are slumped, a stony glare on his face that she can see beneath his mask. Her eyebrows furrow in empathy, feeling horrible that he has to hear these things being said about him.

"What's with his face?"

"He's so _ugly__!_" At this point, she's had enough. She stops short, barely noticing her brothers who also pause, and turns an icy, violent glare on the boys. They stop cold, not used to seeing such a scary look on a kid her age.

"You're so mean!" She yells at them. "Just because he looks different doesn't mean you can be mean and rude! You should be ashamed of yourselves. What if someone said those things about _you_, huh?!" She storms closer until she's nose and nose with the rude little boys, not even caring that she's a good foot shorter than both of them. "Maybe if someone treated you like you treat him you would understand just how cruel you are. How can you just stand here and insult him like it's nothing? _You disgust me._" And with this, she stalks right back to her brothers and storms past them, gently leading Mukotsu away with a hand on his arm. All four of her brothers are dumbfounded, silent as they watch her and Mukotsu's figures disappear in the distance. Suikotsu is the first to recover, and he jogs to catch up with his fiery sister and the poison-master, chuckling lowly under his breath. Ginkotsu, Bankotsu and Jakotsu are left to pull up the rear, the first two marvelling over her sudden outburst and the latter one glaring at the little girl's back. He still doesn't like her.

Later, when they stop for dinner, Mukotsu approaches Aikotsu, under the warning eye of her protective red-headed brother. "Aikotsu?" He prompts, waiting for her to turn around. Once she does, he lowers himself into a low bow, his forehead touching the ground. "I want to thank you, for standing up for me back there. Even though what they said is true, you still stood up for me, and I respect that."

The five year old isn't deterred, smiling widely. "I stood up for you because it was the right thing to do, silly! Everyone deserves kindness!" And with this remark, she skips away to let Bankotsu teach her how to drop kick, Buyo lazily padding along behind her. Ginkotsu stares at him from the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry for what I tried to do, Ginkotsu. I think I'm starting to realize that I'm very sick." He admits, feeling humbled. What he knows now will affect his future, for better or worse is his decision.

_"Just never try that ever again." _

"I think I'm going to start praying and trying to work towards becoming a better person."

_"I think that's a good idea."_

And the red-headed man and the poison-master observe as Bankotsu teaches his sister how to do a drop kick. It's around dinner time when they are approached by another man, or rather a young boy who appears to have been a monk or priest. Aikotsu pauses, Buyo climbing into her lap. His head is shaved, with purple markings stretching up his face from his cheeks to just above his eyebrows along with a dragon-face-like mark on his forehead. "Hello," He begins, bowing low to the group. "My name is Renkotsu. I heard the commotion in the village today, and thought I might be of use. See, I trained as a monk under a very powerful priestess and I picked up quite a few things. I'd be willing to teach your sister in exchange for letting me accompany you. I'm a skilled spiritualist and I have combat experience. Also, my teacher, the priestess Sakura, doesn't take children in order to teach them, so you could still stay with your sister while she learns."

"And just where _is _this village?" Suikotsu asks as he hands his sister her bowl of stew. She takes it gingerly and starts slurping it down right away, only slowing down when he tells her she'll choke otherwise. Renkotsu isn't deterred, and continues on without preamble.

"Just due North. It shouldn't be more than a day or two's travel from here, if I had to guess."

The boys all share a look between themselves, struggling to make a decision. Aikotsu is clearly talented, but she needs guidance and proper training. Plus, due to her utter abhorrence for any form of weapon or violence in general, training her has been stagnant to say the least. All they've managed to teach her is evasive maneuvers and blocking techniques. Bankotsu knows that she _has _to learn how to protect herself, because they won't always be around to save the day, and she needs to know how to hold her own. They haven't raised this precious little ray of sunshine since toddler-hood for her to die because she can't protect herself when they're not there. "What about when we travel? Sometimes we take up mercenary jobs when money's tight. Ai, she isn't fond of violence, and we honestly don't want her to see it either. It's not like we can just bring her along to every mercenary job we get." The six-and-two-quarters boy asks.

Renkotsu pauses, deep in thought for several moments. Aikotsu knows they're talking about her, but doesn't care enough to actually engage, merely sneaking Buyo pieces of meat from her stew when she thinks Suikotsu isn't looking. "Well, there's a demon slayer's village not too far from Lady Sakura's village. They could probably watch your sister, and they may even be able to teach her a few things." The bald boy states, idly accepting a bowl of stew from Suikotsu and thanking him.

The boys are still on the fence about the whole issue, and then Aikotsu and Bankotsu lock eyes. The bond between the two of them is the strongest out of all her brothers, and he can see her young life flash in his eyes. His resolve steels.

She'll be able to protect herself if she trains, right? She won't like it, but you always have to do things you don't like. That's just how life is. He breaks the connection and looks to Renkotsu instead. "We'll do it. We'll go to this Lady Sakura's village. But if this ends up not going well, we **will** kill you." Renkotsu nods, expecting an answer like that.

For now, all they can do is eat dinner, the six of them forming and strengthening bonds. Aikotsu notices that Renkotsu and Gin-nii seem to be getting along well, like Ban-nii and Ja-nii. She looks down at Buyo in her lap, and then to Mukotsu, and smiles. Maybe she just got two new brothers.

* * *

AND CHAPTER TWO IS FINALLY DONE

I have been working on this nightmare chapter for god knows how long. But it's been a long, wild ride, and I'm finishing this at like 8 PM on New Years night. So Happy New Year present to me? Let's go 2020, I hope you won't be as much of a bitch to me as the past eleven years have been.

Join me in chapter three, we're picking up speed!

-FH19


	3. Chapter 3

Well hello everyone! *insert insane author cackles* Welcome back to The Lucky Seven! Here we are at chapter three, and this chapter covers ages five 1/2 through six. I was originally going to have this chapter cover ages five, six, seven,_ and_ eight, but I needed more room for character development. So an extension was needed! Besides, five chapters was asked for, and I'm damn well gonna give it. Plus I plan on Aikotsu being eleven by the time the actual story begins. These first four chapters are basically a prologue to the actual story but they are essential for context and whatnot.

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Chapter three: The Choices We Make

* * *

Suikotsu always thought it would be a cold day in hell before he ever saw a giant. But he'd be wrong. So, _so _wrong. He also had never thought he'd see his sister on a giant's shoulders, waving like the little ray of sunshine that she is.

But there the giant was, and there _she _is, perched on the green-haired man's large shoulder, waving her arm back and forth with a big grin. "Sui-nii! I made a friend! He's huge!" She shouts happily, her dark eyes bright with exuberance. She's easy to spot, her pink yukata standing out against tan skin. She'd recently grown out of her favorite green kimono, which had utterly devastated the little girl, so they had bought her a brand new outfit. To their delight, she loves it.

He gives her a lopsided smile in return. "I can see that. Did you know that Bankotsu just got back? He has some snacks." At the mention of snacks, Aikotsu immediately catapults herself off of the giant, flipping and vaulting all the way to the ground, where she lands neatly on her feet like a pro. After giving him a quick hug, and shouting a farewell to her new friend, she's off towards camp, disappearing in a cloud of dirt.

"My name is Suikotsu," The doctor begins, "I'm Aikotsu's older brother. Who might you be?" To be honest, it's best that Aikotsu went back to camp, just in case. Suikotsu _isn't _sure who this man is, or if he's benevolent like he is parading himself around to be.

"I'm Kyokotsu." The giant introduces himself with a wide, toothy grin. Suikotsu looks closer. Is that a bat demon's wing in his teeth there?

Just where in the seventh **_hell_** did Aikotsu _find_ this guy?

Funnily enough, Kyokotsu ended up being a MAJOR help in their group. It's all too often that they've fought a demon and killed it, but are left with the corpse. Thankfully, Kyokotsu loves eating demons. That's actually how he got to be as tall and bulky as he is; he just constantly eats demons. Well, he eats humans _and _demons, but prefers demons. Bankotsu can't tell if he's a cannibal or not, Jakotsu just doesn't seem to care, and all Aikotsu cares about is getting shoulder rides from her new friend/brother. He's also very helpful whenever they wake up to Aikotsu nearly getting kidnapped in the dead of night. Not that she doesn't help herself, what with her barrier and that strange lightning that had also saved her the first time. Kyokotsu is always allowed to eat the perpetrator after he's questioned by a violently angry Suikotsu and Ginkotsu, and he honestly doesn't care as long as he gets something to eat. Aikotsu enjoys making large bracelets and anklets for him to wear, and he always accepts them without complaint. Truth be told, he's just a gentle giant, and Aikotsu loves it. Ginkotsu is the only one other than Mu-nii and Ban-nii to accept her constant floral jewelry and now she finally has someone else to gift them to without being told no.

...

At age six, Aikotsu begins to see that there's much more to her big brother Suikotsu than the kind-hearted doctor. It had started off simple. Jakotsu had found dinner, and decided to skin it in the camp instead of at the river because he didn't want to walk. He'd started cutting, and some blood splashed on her and Suikotsu. Now she'd just wiped it off and continued playing with Buyo, not really all that bothered, but when she had looked up to ask Suikotsu a question, he looked...scared, staring at his hands. She'd tried calling his name, to get his attention, and then he had begun to ramble about blood on his hands in a way that had her backing away against her will. He just kept scrubbing at his hands, over and over, near tears despite the fact that he'd already brushed all of it off.

Maybe he'd just had a bad nightmare the night before about blood. She understands. Sometimes she has really bad nightmares, where all she can see is fire and blood all around her. It scares her a lot, but she doesn't say anything because she doesn't want to look like a baby compared to her strong brothers. _'Should I grab him a bucket?' _She ponders to herself as she and her six other brothers watch the seventeen-year-old scrub furiously at his hands without any signs of stopping. In the end, she decides to get him the water, and carefully brings the full basin down. After she sets the basin down, Bankotsu drags her back to him as they watch their brother frantically wash 'blood' off of his hands, muttering about how it's still there.

"Never get close to Suikotsu when he's like this, Ai." Bankotsu's voice rumbled from behind her, prompting a nod as they worriedly observed their brother. "Sometimes when this happens, he changes. He gets really dangerous. He won't think twice about killing you when he's like that, and the Suikotsu you know won't ever remember doing it." She gulps at his words, not wanting to imagine what Ban-nii's seen to make him actually afraid. Just to be sure, her barrier springs to life, surrounding herself and her six brothers, while a separate barrier surrounds Suikotsu. Even though she's scared, she still doesn't want him to get hurt.

It's only after several long hours of being confined in the magenta barriers that Suikotsu finally seems to calm down, appearing to be okay now that the 'blood' is off of his hands. He looks around uncomprehendingly as Aikotsu's barriers slowly dissolve into nothing, and he turns his head to see his little sister sitting next to Renkotsu, apparently in the middle of a lesson. One glance down at the basin at his feet is enough to clear things up for him, the situation beginning to make sense. He feels horrible, his stomach churning uncomfortably. "Bankotsu?" He whispers, gaining the attention of his brother and leader.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, it happened again." He's silent as Bankotsu waves off the apology, eyes trained on the grass. "Was she scared? Seeing me lose it?"

"A bit, but I think it's passed." Suikotsu looks down, feeling guilty that he made his sister afraid. Bankotsu sees this, and claps a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Ai is resilient, and she isn't one to hold a grudge, you know that." The two continue to spectate as Renkotsu teaches his sister, watching her face light up as she's praised for answering a question correctly.

...

Jakotsu isn't stupid. Well, he's not_ that_ stupid. When presented enough, he can recognize a pattern. And so, when Aikotsu continually rises in the morning with fresh bruises and scrapes, and he **_just so happens_** to find a brand new kimono placed delicately with his belongings, suddenly everything from the last few days makes sense. Those marks aren't from training, they're very careful to not actually hurt her. So where are they coming from?

That night, fueled by an unexplainable determination to find out just where it is that she's getting these new injuries from, he follows her into the village they're staying near, and watches closely as she sneaks into a seamstress's house and steals two beautiful kimonos. She's amazingly silent for a six-year-old, he has to remark even from his distance, but apparently not quiet enough, as the oil lamp turns on and a loud shriek of outrage echoes from the hut. The crack of a slap makes him snarl quietly, teeth setting to a grind, and his eyes narrow as Aikotsu is tossed out of the hut onto her butt, scooting back from the enraged tailor in fear. Her cheek is already swelling up, a dark red against her alabaster skin. "If I catch you in here again, I'll take your hand, you dirty street urchin! Get out! Get the hell out of here now!" Apparently, she doesn't leave quick enough for the infuriated shopkeep, and he kicks her several times in the stomach, certainly hard enough to bruise, if not break, something.

His eyes narrow into slits as Aikotsu curls up to protect her stomach as much as she can, which only results in the man kicking her in the back and the head before losing interest. After a final insult in the form of spitting on the girl, the shopkeep returns to his hut, and the lamp is blown out, leaving the strip that had once illuminated the beaten girl dark. She lies there for several long seconds, scarcely breathing no doubt, before shakily pulling herself up on her hands and knees, clasping a hand around her stomach and the other over her mouth, presumably to prevent herself from vomiting. Aikotsu finally drags herself to her feet and stumbles away through the treeline, back to camp, and this is where Jakotsu knows it's time to go, lest she find out about his late-night discovery.

But Jakotsu knew well, that shopkeeper would not dare hit Aikotsu ever again. Not if he had anything to say about it.

The next day, he keeps a close eye on her. She doesn't flinch whenever Bankotsu pats her on the shoulder, where a large bruise lies, but he can see it still hurts. The red mark that had been on her cheek has all but faded, miraculously. "Jakotsu, it's your turn to stand guard for Ai." Jakotsu nods and follows the girl without his usual sneer or harsh words. Instead, he keeps a close eye on their surroundings as she prepares for her bath. From behind a tree near the bank, he can hear her hiss in pain as her muscles protest. "Ouch.." She whispers, nearly inaudible. He says nothing, stewing in his confusion. Shouldn't he still hate her? True, he doesn't have any real reason for hating her, least of all for things she can't control, such as being a child and a girl. So why did he hate her so much? Is it because she always got so much of Bankotsu's attention? But she _is_ incredibly smart, and she's very capable at making defensive barriers. She's skilled at hand-to-hand combat, even if she doesn't like it.

_'Screw it,'_ He decides, honestly done with being petty. Hating her doesn't make his life any easier, in fact, he thinks it's giving him wrinkles.

Once she's finished her bath and dressed, Aikotsu is thrown for a loop when her brother gathers her in a giant, careful hug. "You aren't half bad, ya know, for a girl." As she stands in his embrace, wide-eyed, tears sting in her eyes, though they aren't from pain or sadness. No, these are happy tears. She's finally done it. Jakotsu doesn't hate her.

That's all she's ever wanted. "Thanks...Ja-nii." She says, her voice cracking. She's been ignoring all of her cuts and bruises for weeks, knowing that her brothers wouldn't complain if they were hurt, and if they could take it, so could she. She had grown up knowing Jakotsu didn't like her, both because she was a child and because she was a girl. For him to not only compliment her, but _hug _her, is a major deal. She trembles in his embrace, biting her lip to keep from bursting into tears then and there. In the end, all the pain she's endured until now has finally paid off. It's worth it, no matter how much it hurts.

The day after that isn't as easy on her. Although she'd done her best to make sure the shop owner didn't kick her, he'd still landed some good shots at her stomach, and now every breath feels like someone's thrust a sword in her ribs. Her shoulder positively kills with pain, and the bruises on her back aren't doing very well either. In short, Aikotsu's essentially having the day from hell. Still, she says nothing, knowing deep down that her brothers wouldn't show pain even if they were seconds from dying, and she was not a crybaby. She could take it.

At least, that's what she kept telling herself every two seconds as the pain grew worse and worse during their walk to the next village. Her vision keeps going in and out of focus, leaving her view of her brothers blurry at best.

_'Don't...cry. You're not..a baby. Why..are there two Ja-nii's?' _Black spots grow larger, obscuring her sight until it's all a black blob, and she drops to the ground, unconscious.

When the brothers hear a thump behind them, they don't think much of it. After all, Aikotsu could have dropped her pack by accident, or she could be doing acrobatics again. However, Jakotsu instantly knows something isn't right. His assumptions are proven correct when he whirls around to find Aikotsu, face down on the dirt road, out cold. "Aikotsu!" He exclaims in shock, running over to try and wake her. His six brothers are right behind him, worried.

"Is she okay?" Bankotsu asks, on the verge of hyperventilating. Suikotsu is quick to give Jakotsu a long, dead-eyed stare, prompting the boy to throw his hands up in surrender. Ginkotsu watches his sister with worry, Mukotsu starts examining the area to see if there are any obvious reasons for her losing consciousness, Renkotsu is ready to set something on fire, and Kyokotsu wants to kill someone then and there.

"I didn't do anything, okay? All I know is I woke up the night before to see her sneakin' off and when I followed her, she had gone into that nearby village and snuck into a tailor's hut. The tailor kicked her out and was kicking her and calling her names. I wanted to help her, but I didn't want to have to kill someone so late at night." Jakotsu says, doing his best to preserve his innocence. He feels bad for ratting her out now, but it was the only way he could possibly survive 'til tomorrow.

Snarling with his teeth set to a grind, Suikotsu breathes in deep, and within an instant his doctor persona takes hold of him. With the precision only a medical professional could possess, he carefully peels open Aikotsu's kimono, unable to hold back his gasp of utter horror at the sight of the countless bruises that dot her skin. The biggest bruise easily spans the entirety of her waist, the very top of it disappearing into the bandages wrapped around her chest, while the bottom of it ends down by her navel. Ginkotsu's chest heaves, and he plops down on the ground on his rear in utter horror.

Suikotsu doesn't know what to say, so he settles for gently applying a salve meant to help heal bruises, and carefully redressing her. The brothers are subdued as Aikotsu sleeps in her travel bedroll, all of them taking a shift to watch over her. "She isn't to get up under any circumstances, understood?" He sternly instructs his brothers, watching as all of them nod with somber expressions.

A few days after the brutal discovery of Aikotsu's wounds, Bankotsu confronts her, rage and worry setting fire to his blood. "Why didn't you say something?!" He shouts at her. Suikotsu is otherwise unphased, although the deep gouges in the dirt made by his claws say all too much of his thoughts on the matter. Jakotsu carefully watches the interaction between his brother and sister, ready to jump in at any moment. Normally, he'd delight in the child getting berated, and possibly struck, but her actions had appealed to him. The fact that she had gone through the trouble of stealing things, being caught, and being physically punished as a result just to give him something made his heart feel uncomfortably warm. Truth be told, he didn't have anything against her personally, it was just that she was both a child and happened to be female. However, he appreciated that she would risk life and limb just to get something for him, the one who arguably disliked her presence the most.

"What were you thinking?!" Bankotsu continues with his tirade, absolutely incensed. "You could have been killed! Did you ever, for one second, think of that?! Answer me!" As the crack of of Bankotsu's hand echoes off of Aikotsu's cheek, Jakotsu decides it's time to step in. He quickly gathers the silent six year old into his arms, turning to the side to keep her further away from Bankotsu's rage. Although rare, Bankotsu is absolutely deadly when angered enough.

"I think that's enough, Bankotsu." He says amicably, hoping to diffuse the situation. Aikotsu is silent and limp in Jakotsu's arms, staring sightlessly at the ground like a sad little doll. Ginkotsu looks relieved that Jakotsu had stepped in. He would have jumped in had Bankotsu gone any further, leader or not.

"Get out of my way, Jakotsu. She has to learn a lesson." Bankotsu's voice is cold and hard, though Jakotsu is mostly undeterred. However, he's freaking out inside. He knows he's never stood up to Bankotsu before, older than him or not, and it's honestly freaking him the _hell _out.

"Bankotsu, you know I wouldn't stand up to you unless I had a good reason behind it. You know I also normally hate children, especially girls, so why would I bother pulling her out of this situation unless I had a reason?" Slowly, Aikotsu pulls herself out of her brother's arms, moving to stand in front of Bankotsu once more. Her head is lowered, but she doesn't move to protect herself. It's almost like she _wants _him to hit her. As if she knows he's stressed and doesn't know what to do.

Bankotsu's teeth gnash, torn between his fury that she never said anything about getting hurt, and pain that she had been hurt in the first place. He wants to hit her. But he doesn't. He doesn't know what to do. But just looking at her, head lowered, curled in on herself, yet accepting if he chooses to strike her again, he's unable to do anything.

So he abruptly turns on his heel and stalks away, needing to be anywhere but here.

Aikotsu ends up sleeping in between Jakotsu and Ginkotsu that night, as opposed to her usual spot next to Bankotsu. He's still giving her the silent treatment, leaving her to her own thoughts. The slap mark on her pale skin faded away, but the emotional pain still lingers, like a bad taste in her mouth. She doesn't blame him for hitting her, she would have done the same thing, probably. Still, it hurts, the first person she trusted hitting her in the face. He was angry with her. This is the first time he's ever been angry with her.

This continues for the next few days, and Aikotsu begins having more nightmares. This time, along with the normal fire and blood, there's a new one. Bankotsu is standing above her, Banryu in hand, glaring down at her. _"This is your fault." _He hisses in the dream, forcing her to look at the bodies of her brothers and Buyo strewn about all around her. _"This happened because you didn't tell us you needed help." _

It's the third night in a row that she wakes up screaming and crying that Bankotsu finally decides to give it a rest. Yes, he's still mad, but his anger is brewed from worry. Still, he knows now that he shouldn't have struck her, and he feels immensely bad for it, and his actions have given her nightmares. So, as Aikotsu huddles against a tree with her hands clapped over her mouth to muffle her sobs, he stands. She freezes, looking up at him with tear-filled brown eyes that flicker with horror. He isn't going to lie and say it doesn't hurt when she flinches as he draws nearer. But she's definitely entitled to do that, after all, he did smack her in the face days ago, and has been giving her the cold shoulder ever since. He sits down next to her, moving his braid over his shoulder to his back, and gently tugs her until she's in his lap. She's stock still and pliant as he wraps his arms around her.

"I'm sorry." Bankotsu whispers into her hair, honestly wishing he could turn back time and stop himself from ever hitting her. "I'm sorry I hit you and yelled at you. I lost control, and it's unacceptable." His heart hurts, and his eyes sting with impending tears that he doesn't dare let fall. Men don't cry, he reminds himself. "I betrayed your trust, I made you upset, and I am _so sorry _that I did that to you. I shouldn't have hit you, shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry I ignored you for three days, and I'm sorry that I made your nightmares worse." Aikotsu's back is shaking and she wriggles around until she's looking at him in the eye, her dark eyes wet with tears.

"You said it was my fault, that everyone was dead because I didn't say I needed help!" She cries, trying her best to not wake up her brothers. Bankotsu sighs, letting her bury her face in his neck.

"Then this is a lesson, Ai. We've both learned something from this. You learned not to keep things from us, especially about your health, and I learned that hitting you and getting angry at you isn't the way to deal with an issue like this. Actions and decisions you make can affect others, cause and effect, ya know? It's all in the choices we make." He whispers, rubbing his hand soothingly up and down her back as she trembles in his arms. "Now, we have to wake up early tomorrow, so we should get some sleep. Why don't you sing that lullaby you usually hum?" Nodding a bit, Aikotsu clears her throat and begins softly humming the tune of a lullaby from the very depths of her memory. She doesn't remember the words, but the tune is fresh in her mind.

Thankfully for Bankotsu, she's asleep within minutes, her previous bout of tears exhausting her to the point where sleep was inevitable. He frowns sadly down at the crown of her head, wishing for not the first time that he could go back in time and stop himself before he ever even hit her. He feels _horrible _about it. His fists clench, his dark eyes burning.

No. He will _never _hit Aikotsu again.

This time as Aikotsu sleeps, her dreams are no longer filled with pain and blood and fire. Instead, a fuzzy image paints itself and a warm feeling fills her chest. She watches a woman and a man playing with a little girl with short black hair. She can't see the adults' faces, but instinctively knows they're smiling. _"You're so cute, Haruko!" _The woman gushes.

_"Can you walk to Daddy?" _The man asks, and she watches along with the adults as the little girl struggles to her tiny feet and stumbles along until she falls in the man's lap. He sweeps her up into an embrace, holding her dearly. _"You did it, my little Haruko! I'm so proud of you!" _

She doesn't know who the adults are, or who Haruko is, but for some strange reason she feels like she's known them her whole life. Like they've always been there with her, from the very beginning. A beginning that she can't remember.

Who are those people? And who is Haruko?

* * *

AND CHAPTER THREE IS DONE, MY DEARS! I'm practically jumping up and down like a kid high on sugar. I can't _wait_ for you guys to see what I have planned!

Join me next chapter!

-FH19


	4. Chapter 4

Boom! Chapter four! I'm not gonna waste time with a lame ass introduction, so here's the disclaimer and we're diving right in!

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Chapter four: Seven, Eight, and Nine, Ain't Life Fine?

* * *

Even at just seven years old, Aikotsu is a remarkably powerful priestess. Her barriers are strong and cover a wide area of land without strain. Her archery aim is spot on. She can summon barriers both consciously and subconsiously, almost instantaneously. She's one of the best students in Lady Sakura's class, other than her own daughters Kikyo and Kaede. Although for some reason, Kikyo doesn't like Aikotsu. Truthfully, she's been nothing but polite, but the young Aikotsu can tell that she isn't liked by the eldest daughter of Lady Sakura. She tries to not let it bother her, because she gets along with Kaede just fine, but it always nags at the back of her mind. It's just something she'll have to live with. In life, there's always going to be at least _one _person who doesn't like you.

Naturally, when seven year old Aikotsu comes back into camp with a cream colored nekomatta, giving her brothers those big puppy-dog eyes of hers, it isn't a surprise that she ends up with another pet. The little girl names the neko Junko, and she integrates herself into the group easily, even Buyo taking a liking to her almost immediately.

At age eight, she proves her incredible strength when she drags a dead boar demon over to Kyokotsu for him to enjoy. Due to her constant training both with her brothers and the demon slayers, her strength has improved exponentially, and she can lift a demon carcass with little effort on her part.

And thankfully by eight-and-a-half, the frequency of her getting kidnapped in the middle of the night had dropped exponentially. Perhaps whoever was behind it had finally given up, because she hasn't had an attempt made on her since she was seven. All of the boys were glad for this, Suikotsu especially, as he hated when Aikotsu nearly got kidnapped, both because she was his sister and because it always woke him up.

...

"Go on ahead, Ai. We'll be over there in a few minutes." Bankotsu instructs the girl and she nods, rocketing off towards the tall front gate of the demon slayer village, beaming as the guards open the gate for her. As she walks in, she sees two familiar figures clothed in a pink kimono and a red haori set.

"Sango-chan! Inu-chan!" Aikotsu calls happily as she races through the center of the village, screeching to a halt in front of her friends.

"Aikotsu!" Sango calls back, reaching over to hug the girl. Inuyasha lingers just a few steps behind, not wanting to interrupt. He thinks Aikotsu is nice, but he's still shy around her, just a bit. "So, your brothers are heading on another mission?" Sango asks, eyeing the pack on Aikotsu's back.

Aikotsu nods, her smile falling just a tad. "Yeah, we're still running low on money, so they're going to work for a Lord up North. Hopefully it'll bring in enough to cover us this winter." Unfortunately for their little rag-tag family, the last client they'd had stiffed them quite a bit, and the funds were tight. In hopes of fixing this, her brothers accepted a dangerous job up North, which entailed dropping _her _off at Sango's village due to her dislike of violence.

"Oh," The girls are interrupted when a beautiful woman with long black hair and a butterfly printed kimono walks through, smiling as Inuyasha latches a hand onto her kimono sleeve. "You're back, Aikotsu. It's good to see you again."

"Hello, Izayoi-sama! Yes, my brothers are going on another job, so I'll be spending the next few days here with Sango." As Aikotsu says this, Bankotsu finally stops behind her.

"Good day, Izayoi-sama," He greets her with a smile. "How are you doing today?" He doesn't react when Aikotsu grabs his hand as she bounces up and down. He knows she just has a lot of energy and needs to let it go.

"I'm doing well, thank you. And you and your brothers? I overheard young Aikotsu here say you were headed off on another mission." He nods at her words, his jovial demeanor dropping for just a second.

"Yes, you heard right. My brothers and I are otherwise alright, other than the fact that the last client we had stiffed us about half the payment. We're hoping that this one will be enough to cover us for the winter. Aikotsu's getting bigger, we need to start getting her new winter kimonos, after all." Izayoi nods gracefully.

"Well I hope you'll be careful, yes? Try not to make your sister worry any more than usual." Bankotsu nods and dips into a playful bow.

"Yes, Izayoi-sama." He grins. Then he turns to Aikotsu. "We've gotta get going now, Ai. We should be back in four days time, five or six at the latest. Be good, do what you're told, and try not to worry too much." He tickles his nose against hers and she giggles.

"I'll try, Ban-nii. Now go before Sui-nii threatens to carve out your innards. He already looks like he wants to." Bankotsu lets out a loud laugh from the pit of his stomach, ruffling her hair with a smile. He gathers her in a quick hug before rocketing off toward the gate, disregarding as Suikotsu seems to berate him. Aikotsu waves as they disappear through the gate, and she takes in a deep breath as soon as she can't see them anymore. Then, she turns to Sango immediately.

"Wanna go mess with Kohaku-chan?" She asks the older girl, hoping to find a way to distract herself. They've only just left and she already misses them. Sango seems to understand and nods, and the girls bid Inuyasha and his mother goodbye before racing for Sango's family's hut to bother Kohaku.

A little later in the day, Aikotsu is left alone again, and she stares up at the sky, lost in thought. Her fingers trace the bracelet on her wrist idly, only just barely noticing as someone else joins her. "So where's your father?" Aikotsu frowns, looking down from the sky and turning her attention to the kid next to her. It's Kenji, Toshiro-san's son. She tilts her head at the question, confused. Kenji is a bit of a battle-nut, in her eyes, but he's nice enough. He's one of the younger kids in Sango's village, about two years younger than her. He's got this fascination with both her brothers and Sango's family because of how strong they are. She bets her next meal that if he were allowed, he'd follow her brothers to the ends of the land.

"What's a father?" She asks innocently. While she doesn't like sounding stupid, she genuinely _doesn't _know what this mysterious 'father' is. And she wants to know. She's gotten much more curious outwardly, especially since Ja-nii had stopped calling her stupid when she was six-and-a-half. Recently, he even took her into the market to go _kimono shopping! _She'd nearly stopped breathing that day, and her cheeks had hurt for days after from smiling the entire time.

"You mean you don't _have_ one?" The boy asks back, as if baffled. Aikotsu hesitantly nods, still not knowing what a father is. She's feeling dumber _already_. "A father is the greatest person in the world!" He gushes excitedly. "They're a guy that is married to your mother and who helped her give birth to you and he takes care of you and plays with you and always makes sure you're safe!"

Finally seeming to understand, Aikotsu grins. "That sounds like my brothers! Minus the whole married to my mother thing. I don't have one of those either."

"What do you mean?" Kenji asks her, as if dumbstruck by the fact that she doesn't have a mother.

"Ban-nii said he found me one day and just brought me back with him. I've been with Ban-nii and my other brothers ever since I was two." She explains, smiling softly as she recalls the first memory she could retain; Bankotsu's brightly smiling face as he lifts her off the ground. Personally, she thinks she's _**very **_lucky that Bankotsu had picked her up that day.

"That's kinda...weird." He says bluntly, apparently oblivious to how she recoils in shock. Her eyebrows furrow, mood souring. She's _just about_ to put the little brat in his place when his father calls him over and scolds the boy himself, having overheard the conversation. She's just able to pick up Toshiro-san berating Kenji and telling him that saying that was rude and he needs to apologize because it was wrong to do and could have hurt her feelings. To be honest, it kind of did.

But she wasn't about to let either of _them _know that. Ja-nii always told her that a good person has a thick skin, and that you can't let words get to you. So that's what she's gonna do. Who cares what that kid thinks? She has her brothers and her friends and that's all she needs. A shout of her name has her head snapping over to where the Headman is, and she runs towards him. Forget Kenji, he's just some rude brat. Still though, in the back of her mind, she can't help but wonder what having a father is like. Sango has a father, and everyone else seems to, or have at least had one in the past. But not her.

A tight feeling settles itself deep in her heart, an unexplainable desire for a father, and she just can't shake it. And then another thought hits her. What's a mother? Maybe she should ask Sango...She'd know. Sango's very smart. Her head hurts. Idly she wonders if her brothers are having an easier time than she is. She hopes so.

...

Far up North and a day later, the brothers _aren't _having a fun time. "Goddamnit! Why won't these stubborn mules just _die?!_" Jakotsu shouts as he wrenches his Jakotsuto from the body of a soldier to whip the many blades into four more victims. Suikotsu is halfway across the makeshift battlefield, dealing with his own opponents, as the other five of their brothers make quick work of their job. They're all eager to get back to Aikotsu. Being completely candid, _none _of them really like doing these assassination jobs anymore, but money is money. They don't have the room to complain about what jobs come their way. Renkotsu had counted their funds the night before they left, and had told them all point blank that if they didn't do this job, they would _**never **_survive the winter with as many people they have in their group. They have no choice but to do this.

"Because they're afraid of death?" Suikotsu wonders aloud as he slices the arm off of a soldier. Beside him, Ginkotsu releases his many saw blades to slice easily through his opponents. On the other end of the field, Mukotsu is releasing his third most potent poison into the air, hoping to rid himself and his brothers of these bothersome warriors. Bankotsu snarls, whipping two across the face with Banryu and effectively ending their miserable lives, looking around for Renkotsu and finding him up in a tree. Their bald brother is setting fire to as many as he can see, while Kyokotsu just keeps swooping them up and gobbling them down.

Bankotsu grunts as an arrow lands in his stomach, hissing with pain. He barely pauses, cutting the shaft of the arrow off and yanking the tip out of his flesh. He can deal with the wound when these idiots are done for. They have to make it back. Aikotsu is waiting for them.

...

By day five, Aikotsu is nearly catatonic she's so worried. She just keeps pacing and looking up at the gate with wide eyes before pouting and looking away, only to repeat the cycle every five minutes, as if hoping something would change in those few minutes. "Aikotsu!" Her head shoots up, immediately looking over to the gate to see the seven figures she's been missing for five days. But something's wrong. She takes a closer look, and then-

Aikotsu gasps, running for the village entrance at full tilt. "Ban-nii! Ren-nii!" She shouts in worry as she stares at their torn clothes and bandages dark with blood. She screeches to a stop just a hair from knocking into them and her lip trembles as her dark eyes finally take in the full extent of her brothers' injuries. "You're all so hurt…" She whispers morosely, looking ready to cry.

Bankotsu scoffs good-naturedly, "Relax, little sister, it's okay. This is nothing," He says arrogantly. Renkotsu, on the other hand, stays quiet, knowing better than to argue with his sister, well aware that he can't say he's fine when Ginkotsu is holding him up. When angry enough, Aikotsu is a force to be reckoned with. He'd rather **not** trifle with her temper while he's so hurt. Bankotsu apparently has no such reservations, or he's just too oblivious to notice when his sister is a ticking time bomb.

"It is _**not**_ okay!" Aikotsu counters, nearly roaring in her fury. "Being 'okay' is you coming back _unharmed _and _not_ being supported by Ja-nii and Sui-nii because you can't walk on your own! Don't think I can't see that limp!" Large crocodile tears pool up in her eyes, stunning each and every one of the boys into silence. It isn't often that their sister cries, but it's absolutely jarring whenever she does. "What am I supposed to do all by myself? What am I to do if you-" Her lip trembles and she shakes her head resolutely, turning tail and running off to the far end of the village.

"Ai!" Bankotsu calls after her, but gets no answer. He sighs, letting his head sag against his collarbone.

"I told you not to provoke her." Renkotsu deadpans, biting back a hiss as Ginkotsu adjusts his placement.

By the end of the day, the spat between Bankotsu and Aikotsu still hasn't been solved. Bankotsu doesn't even try to talk to her this time around, recognizing that he was too arrogant to admit that he _is_ hurt. Aikotsu is right. They need to be more careful. Sure, she's been training with the demon slayers, and she has extensive knowledge of defensive and evasive maneuvers, but what good will that do her in case the unthinkable happens? What if something _does _happen to them? Who is she to rely on if something happens to them?

Her fears are warranted, as much as he hates to admit it. They're playing a dangerous game, but they have no choice in the matter. When low on money, you take whatever job comes your way, no questions asked.

So instead of provoking her further, he quietly observes from a safe distance, watching as she gazes up at the starry sky with a forlorn expression. He hears footsteps, and then he notices Sango, the daughter of the Headman, sit down beside his sister. She's a good friend of Aikotsu's, a headstrong girl of nine years, who is dedicated and hardworking, but also loyal and kind. Bankotsu had been beginning to get worried for his sister, having no female friends as she grew up.

"Are you okay, Ai?" He hears Sango ask as they kick their feet languidly off the edge of the porch.

Aikotsu is silent, still staring up at the inky expanse above. Her voice is a hoarse whisper when she finally does speak. "Sango-chan, are you ever worried when your father goes on missions?" Sango frowns, turning to look at her friend.

"Of course I get worried. He's my only father, and I love him very much. I would be very sad if he got hurt or didn't come home."

"...Would he play it off? Like pretend it wasn't a serious injury?" Sango pauses at the question, staring down thoughtfully at her toes.

"I think he would," She says amicably. "But I know he only has my best interest at heart if and when he would do it." Sango's hand strokes Kirara's back absently as she stares up at the sky.

"Why do they do that? Pretend to not be as hurt as they are?" Bankotsu can hear his sister's frustration, her anger in her words. It hurts him. Why does he keep managing to hurt her? He isn't trying to.

"To keep their loved ones from worrying too much? Ego? It's hard to say. It's probably different for every man. For my father, it's most likely because he's the Headman, he's seen as the strongest person in this village, and he has an 'image' to keep up. For your brothers, it's probably from not wanting to worry you too much." And Sango hit the nail on the head. He'd played it off because he was trying to make Aikotsu not worry as much. If he appeared stronger than the injury, she wouldn't worry...right?

"They can't stop me from worrying," Aikotsu argues petulantly, puffing her cheeks out cutely in a pout. Sango nodded, a small smile on her lips.

"True, but they can certainly try. Either way, please try not to blame them. Don't stay mad at them for too long. Sometimes, they're gone before you know it." And with this parting gift of advice, Sango gets up and leaves Aikotsu to her own thoughts. Bankotsu too was left to ponder silently, wondering just how a nine-year-old could be so wise. That girl is something else. In the end, he silently crawls back to his room and drifts off to sleep, hoping for a better day come morning.

The next day, Bankotsu is blocked from moving down the hall by Aikotsu's Hiraikotsu, with his eight-year-old sister holding it in a way meant to keep him from passing. "We need to talk." She declares stoically, staring up at him with fire in her big brown eyes. He says nothing, not wanting to piss her off further, and follows dumbly as she grabs his wrist and yanks him into a spare room with a strength he knows she has but rarely uses. "No more pretending you aren't as hurt as you are." She orders as soon as the door is shut. He blinks down at her.

"I-" She cuts him off before he can get a word in edgewise.

"I don't care about your dumb reasons for making it seem like you aren't hurt. Okay? You seven are all I have in this world. You're my only family. If something happens to you and you keep it a secret or downplay it, how am I to trust you? What if you got an infection? Would you hide that from me too? How about if you were slowly dying from that infection? I don't care if it's your ego or not wanting to make me worry, I will _always _worry. It's what I do. You're my brothers. I'm supposed to worry, just like you worry about me. I don't try to stop that." She sighs, shifting from one foot to the next. "There. That's what I wanted to say. Now you can say your piece."

Bankotsu sighs, taking several seconds to round up his thoughts. "I'm sorry that I hurt you, Ai. It wasn't my intention. I just-" He rakes a hand through his messy bangs. "You get so worried whenever we come back even the least bit hurt, I was just trying to keep you from dying of worry. Maybe I'm just dumb. You're certainly smarter than me." He grins as Aikotsu lightly chuckles, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I promise I'll try to stop doing that in the future, okay? No more pretending." He promises.

"Pinky promise?" Aikotsu asks, holding out her pinky. Bankotsu smiles warmly and nods.

"Pinky promise." He agrees, locking his finger with hers and shaking.

Awkward silence reigns. And then their stomachs rumble in unison. The brother and sister look at each other, and laugh. "Let's get some food, yeah?" Bankotsu asks, opening the door for her.

* * *

So I lost my library card on the 6th, like maybe barely twenty minutes after getting it. Genius, right? I got a new _new _card, didn't lose the second one, and chapter four is now finished. Join me in chapter five. I honestly don't know what else to say. Blah. Blah.

-FH19


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Also, this symbol here in the parentheses (_*x*_) marks the actual beginning of the story. I know it's a bit confusing, but everything up until that mark (including all previous chapters) are more backstory and context information. The real story begins after that tiny marker.

Chapter five: And So It Begins

* * *

Weapons are _not _Aikotsu's friend, this is a well known fact. She absolutely abhors all forms of violence and weapons, preferring to choose the pacifistic way of life. Through her ten years of life, she's only ever needed to use evasive maneuvers, and for that she is eternally grateful. She would hate to be the cause of someone getting injured, no matter the situation.

And so when Aikotsu is gifted with her very own Hiraikotsu by Sango's father, she isn't sure what to think. It's incredible, and skillfully crafted, and she's indescribably grateful that Katashi-sama had taken the time to make such a beautiful thing for her, but she just doesn't like weapons. Maybe she just won't use it? Carry it around and use it as a scare tactic? The least she can do is _clean _it then. Although, that plan isn't easy to go through with when Sango is asked to accompany Aikotsu and her brothers on a mission to exterminate a nest of youkai to the South. Not wanting to look bad or ungrateful in front of her best friend, Aikotsu dutifully trains with her enormous boomerang, although she detests the thought of actually causing someone pain.

A week later, her brothers are off on another mercenary mission, this time to the West, and Aikotsu, Sango, and Kohaku are training with Sango's father. As the Chief and Headman of the village, Katashi-sama is a firm man with even firmer principles. He isn't one to wilt in the face of adversity. But he is genuinely a nice man, once you get to know him.

Which is why Aikotsu feels so guilty that she hates fighting. Whenever her brothers are gone, Katashi-sama steps up and offers his home to her, giving her a roof over her head, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. The _least_ she could do is learn to fight, even if she doesn't like it. But she just can't make her hand pick up the tessen, staring guiltily at the training dummy a few feet away. Sango's father sighs, crouching down until he is eye level with the young girl. "Aikotsu, I know you aren't fond of bloodshed, nor are you keen on the idea of combat or conflict at all, but learning to fight is crucial to survival at times. There will be times when fighting will save your life. I know you don't like it, neither does Kohaku, but he knows that he has to learn to be able to defend himself and the people he cares about, even if he doesn't like it. Learning will help you the same way. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't care." Knowing deep down that the man is right, Aikotsu's will wavers and she reluctantly gives in, and she grits her teeth, forcing herself to pick up the tessen, holding it properly in her hand. It takes weeks upon weeks, and her brothers staying with her in Sango's hut, but she finally learns how to fight. First she learns one-on-one, then two-on-one, until she's facing off against five opponents and up at a time. By her birthday, she has become a skilled user of her Hiraikotsu, as well as the kusarigama, the nagamaki, the tessen, sai blades, kunai, katanas, and the bokuto.

Oddly enough, training with Katashi-sama reminds her of when she was learning early evasive maneuvers with Ban-nii and Ja-nii. She could still clearly remember one training session in particular.

_"And you just twist like this, okay? Then you flip and swing their legs out from under them." Aikotsu watched and listened intently as Jakotsu showed her how to turn the tables of a battle in her favor. He and Bankotsu had instructed her that since she was so young and small, many opponents had a height advantage on her, but that she could use her short stature to her own advantage. "Do you get it?"_

_"I think so." She says, uncertainly, trying to wrap her young brain around the move. _

_"Maybe you need a demonstration. Bankotsu, could you help me?" The leader was just about to respond when Aikotsu held up her hand._

_"No, it's okay. I need to learn hands-on how to do this. Just use it on me," The little girl breathes in calmly, shaking out her limbs. "Okay. Go." She states bravely. Jakotsu closes his eyes, hoping he doesn't hurt her too much. He falls into the maneuver flawlessly, his movements quick, but he's sure she's watching carefully._

_The next thing Aikotsu knows, she's on the ground, staring up at the sky and wondering just what the _devil _happened. Jakotsu and Bankotsu's worried faces peer down at her, grabbing her by the hands and gently helping her up. "Are you good?" Jakotsu asks, carefully examining her head._

_Aikotsu smiles. "I'm fine. But you're right, that move is really good. I need to learn it as quick as I can."_

Although that was _also _the day that Jakotsu had pushed Suikotsu into a lake as a prank, which resulted in him being chased around the camp and then proceeding to hide behind her like she was a human shield. Suikotsu, in response, had merely lifted her up, put her on his shoulders, and continued to terrorize his younger brother throughout the day.

...

"Happy birthday, Aikotsu!" Aikotsu smiles widely, a warm feeling welling up in her chest. Her brothers are all around her, smiling down at her. She's got all she needs right here.

"I can't believe you're already eleven!" Bankotsu moans. "I remember when you were just two! It feels like yesterday!" He cries, wrapping his arms around the still-grinning now eleven-year-old.

"Ban-nii, have you had sake?" She asks smugly, but hugs back anyway. Truthfully, it _does _feel like just yesterday that Bankotsu had brought her back and made her into their family. It's hard to believe it's already been nearly nine years since he'd found her. Since then, she's gained seven wonderful brothers, three best friends in the forms of Sango, Inuyasha, and Miroku, and her favorite kitties in the world, Buyo and Junko. She's so lucky, really.

From Jakotsu, she had received three new kimonos and two yukata, along with some lip stain and coal for her eyes. Renkotsu had given her fresh scrolls and new ink and calligraphy pens. Ginkotsu had given her two new winter kimonos and a pair of geta with tabi. Bankotsu had bought a pretty hair ornament for her, which she'd put on immediately, and a winter shawl. Mukotsu had procured a beautiful tea set for her, one she was very careful not to accidentally ruin. She was gifted a necklace by Kyokotsu, along with a flower crown.

Upon visiting the demon slayer's village, Aikotsu was also gifted her very own exterminator's suit, the accent color being a dark green. The air was cold and snow continued to fall for the duration of the day, but they paid it no mind. The celebration with Sango and everyone from the demon slayer's village had to be delayed by several months due to an outbreak of both demons and illness that swept through the country. It had only just died down, the cold freezing the disease and demons solid. This was their chance, and they weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She and Inuyasha and Sango had played all day, making snow angels and tossing snowballs at each other with reckless abandon. Aikotsu laughed as Sango slapped Miroku and proceeded to rip into him for touching her backside. It was no secret to the young girl that the young monk apprentice had a massive crush on Sango. She'd first noticed it after Sango had returned from a mission a few months back, talking about the young son of a Lord, Takeda Kuranosuke. Apparently the young Lord, or 'The Runny Nose' as Sango had referred to him once, had taken quite a fancy to her friend and had been enamored from first glance.

Miroku found this utterly infuriating, and was clearly doing all he could to keep Sango's attention on him and not the Takeda Lord. Aikotsu thought it was absolutely adorable. Jakotsu could beg to differ.

_*x*_

"Aikotsu, you are going to fall." Suikotsu warned as he carefully watched his sister balance herself on a fence that ran next to the path. Renkotsu sighed, already anticipating what would happen. _'__Oh well,'_ He thought to himself, _'Better to let her learn the hard way.'_ She's going to have to learn someday that her actions have a consequence, after all.

"No I won't." She disagrees cheerfully with a bright smile. Then as she twirled on her next step, as if to prove her wrong, she suddenly lost her footing, and tumbled headfirst off of the fence. Thinking quickly, she flipped herself and landed deftly on her feet, arms spread out to aid in stabilization. The girl says nothing, frozen in place as Jakotsu and Bankotsu release a sigh of relief.

Suikotsu sighs, pressing a hand to his face in exasperation, somehow knowing deep in his soul that this girl will be the death of him.

"What did I just tell you?" He asked rhetorically.

"I don't know!" The young girl responds cheerfully, not batting an eyelid, although now choosing to stick to solid ground. At the ripe age of eleven, Aikotsu is as spunky and cheerful as a child can get. Sometimes she can be willful or distracted, but she never forgets just how lucky she is. But she also isn't really the type to admit when she's in the wrong, hence the current situation.

"Aikotsu, here. I made a few more smoke bombs for you." Mukotsu said, handing her three canteens. She grins widely and attaches them to her waist belt immediately, bringing her arsenal up to five.

"Thanks, Mu-nii!" She thanks him brightly. In the background, she can hear her Ren-nii and Sui-nii discussing money, and frowns when she hears 'job up North' and 'dangerous but necessary' from Renkotsu. So they're running low on money again. That means her brothers are going away on another job. She doesn't want that. While they _do _need money, apparently, she hates it when they leave. She never knows if they'll come back safe, even if they do promise to stay safe. They'll always have to stay on guard; safety is never a guarantee in the world they live in. To distract herself, she plays with Junko and Buyo late into the evening, absorbing every moment with her brothers that she can.

...

The night is calm, the only sound coming from crickets chirping and the crackle of a fire. Surrounding the fire is the Band of Seven, as they've come to call themselves, despite having eight people, all fast asleep. And suddenly, one shriek ruins the peace completely.

"BAN-NII! I'M DYING!" Bankotsu shoots up, grabbing Banryu and looking around wildly for danger, only to find none. He blinks, still half-asleep and more than a little confused. Instead, Aikotsu is standing in front of him, holding her sleeping yukata that is stained with blood, wearing one of her spare yukata. "I'm gonna die, aren't I Ban-nii?" She sniffles, on the brink of tears.

"W-wha?" He stutters, still not comprehending what she's saying. They only just got back from a rather brutal and dangerous mercenary job up North, and he was honestly _exhausted_. This is not helping at all.

"I woke up 'cause something felt weird and my yukata was bloody! It's because I was walking on the fence and didn't listen, isn't it? _I'm gonna die!_" She cries, sobbing as her breath comes out in shaky pants. Bankotsu doesn't know what to say. Just as he's about to open his mouth and bullshit some answer, he's saved.

The commotion roused Suikotsu and he yawns, struggling to sit up. "Aikotsu, you aren't dying, you've entered womanhood. Every woman bleeds once a month." He sits up and sleepily tells her to clean herself up in the nearby stream. Once she returns, he gives her a loincloth and tells her to put it on. He nods as soon as she has it on. "I'll check again in the morning. Don't worry, you're not dying." And with this, he rolls over and falls back asleep almost instantaneously, loud snores rumbling from him. The leader of their group isn't surprised by this, Suikotsu is a very deep sleeper, but he's also the type that hates to be woken up. He's easier to anger when half-asleep, so Aikotsu is lucky that she didn't get chewed out. Even if it isn't her fault.

Bankotsu looks over to Aikotsu. She still looks on the brink of a complete breakdown. "Come here." He instructs her, holding back a grunt as she accidentally plants her elbow right in her stomach. "You doin' okay?" He whispers. She shakes her head against his shoulder. "That's alright. You can sleep here with me tonight." Blood isn't a problem for him, he's been covered in it on more than one occasion, so his sister bleeding a bit isn't a big deal.

"Once upon a time," Bankotsu begins, "there were three boys. They had been orphaned and met each other at a very young age. Because of how similar they and their situations were, the three banded together and became brothers. It had just been the three of them for years, taking on whatever job they could for some extra money. One day, the youngest found a little girl on the side of the road. He was going to leave her there, but something about her made him reconsider. There was just a look in her eyes, that she was alone in this world. Since he'd been there, known that loneliness, he brought her back to his camp and convinced his brothers to take the girl in. They named her Aikotsu, because she wielded love like it were her personal skill. Over the years, their group expanded, and they gained more brothers. Aikotsu was very bright and amazingly smart, and she knew that they had problems with money. The brothers didn't know what to do, they all wanted to have enough to care for their sister but didn't know where to get that money from."

Aikotsu shifted a bit. "Do they ever make enough money for all of them? To support themselves and their siblings?" She whispers. Aikotsu isn't stupid. She knows Bankotsu is using a story to express how worried he and the rest of her brothers are about their financial situation. Their situation is appallingly bad, and they rely on rations more often than not, but the question can't hurt.

"I don't know." Bankotsu says truthfully. "They haven't figured it out yet. But the youngest brother has faith that they'll find a way. He holds onto hope, because he owes so much to that little Aikotsu. She's responsible for turning him into who he is today, and he has to pay her back for everything she's done for them." Aikotsu wipes her eyes with her sleeves, hugging her brother tightly.

"I'm so lucky to have you; all of you." She reveals with a bright smile. "I never want to take you for granted." Even though they occasionally bicker (well, Suikotsu and Jakotsu almost constantly argue), they all love each other to the bottom of their hearts, and wouldn't trade a single one of their siblings for anything in the world.

Aikotsu snuggles deeper in her brother's arms, humming her favorite lullaby until they're both asleep, assured by each other's presence.

Miles away, a figure chuckles darkly as the image of the little family fades from his orb, flaxen white hair undulating in the breeze. His dark red eyes flash menacingly in the low light of the moon. "Soon, I'll have my revenge.." He whispers into the wind, scarlet eyes crazed. "You'll regret what you took from me, _little brother._"

* * *

HOLY HELL WEASEL! Boom! That is the first five chapters of this beautiful creation of mine! Chapter six is already in the works and will mayhaps be halfway finished by the time I have uploaded TLS 1-5? It's not a guaranteed thing, but I has some things planned.

Also thanks to my big sister Da-Wolf-Goddess for all of her amazing help, and to my best friend in the whole wide ass world and the greatest mastermind who puts up with all of my bullshit, pandagirl247. I love you Queens! Thanks for putting up with my BS since I got this idea!

I'd also love to thank all of the people who have given me such support on my posts regarding TLS on Tumblr, you dears will always be in my tags! *less than three emoticon*

I can't wait to see you all next chapter!

-FH19


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

I can't guarantee how long this chapter will be, because it's been giving me problems from the near get-go. Writing chapters one through five was soooo much easier, mostly because I had a good chunk of it already planned out. Now that I've used a good deal of my material, I'm flyin' blind for a bit. Regardless, I'll do my best to give you the best chapter I can push out!

Chapter six: The Blood Red Eyes

* * *

Aikotsu is bored. And hungry. She knew they didn't have much money, yet again, since the last Lord that they aided in war had stiffed them the original price (no surprise there, she thought with disdain), leaving them with nearly nothing. As such, Suikotsu had to stay back at a village for a few days, providing much needed aid as a doctor to earn some money. He would reconvene with them in a few days time. Aikotsu had been reluctant to leave him behind, not liking the idea of being separated by such a far distance. Why does money have to be a necessity? It causes so many conflicts. People literally kill for it, all the time. Her stomach growls again and she frowns, wishing she could just toss that greedy Lord to Junko to play with. It's _his _fault that her family is low on funds and had to split with Sui-nii. Her stomach twists painfully, hunger keeping her from sitting still. What can she get for food that doesn't cost anything? She could steal something from a nearby village's crop, but she could also risk getting beaten for being a thief. After the last time she got kicked five years ago, she isn't too keen on resorting to thievery just to put something in her belly.

'_Fishing doesn't waste money..' _She realized as a smile graced her lips. If she can catch enough fish, they won't have to spend anything for another day! With that idea racing through her mind, she runs off into the forest, Junko at her heels. Kyokotsu doesn't pay her departure any mind, knowing she won't go far.

Ten minutes later saw Aikotsu with five fish caught on the stream bank, Junko helping to scare the fish right into her mistress' trap. A twig snapping to the far left drew both of their attention, and they turned to see a man. He was tall, with long black hair pulled into a high ponytail and blood red eyes. His robes are black, gold, and purple in color, and denote a very wealthy individual, perhaps a Lord.

The little girl watched cautiously as he scented the air, before a shiver traveled down her spine at the chilling snarl he emitted as his eyes locked on her. Junko reacted just in time to save her mistress, barrelling in front of the small girl and transforming with a vicious growl as the man lunged forward. Still caught off guard, Aikotsu fell into the stream with a yelp of surprise, the cold water seeping into her kimono. Her head spun with questions. Who was this man? Why is he so angry? Should she act? She only has three smoke bombs. She needs to preserve them, after all, Mu-nii isn't always able to make more on the fly.

In front of her, Junko is being very careful to keep the strange man away from her kitten. The aura he gives off raises her hackles in the wrong way. There is just something about him, a hint of desperation and insanity, and she knows whatever it is does not bode well with her young kitten.

Aikotsu gulps, watching her kitty carefully stand guard in front of her, eyes wide. In her mind, Bankotsu's words echo, heavy and serious. '_Be confident in battle, but never underestimate your opponent. Know when to retreat, or it could end your life.' _Now seemed like a very good time to retreat, if she had to say so herself. But she couldn't just leave Junko to deal with this wacko. How were they to escape? Being opposed to combat, she didn't like weapons other than her smoke bombs. Thinking she wouldn't need it, she'd also left her bow, arrows, and even her Hiraikotsu, which Sango's father had _painstakingly _taken the time to make, back at their camp. It was times like these that she **deeply** regretted her aversion to weapons.

"Who are you?" The man snarls angrily, nostrils flaring as his scarlet orbs bear into her frightened doe eyes.

'_Don't say your name, don't say your name.' _She tells herself, gulping. "I don't know." She responds backs, thinking desperately for a way out.

"That's a lie, I can smell it. **_Tell me the truth, little girl._**" His voice dropped into a tone that sent shivers down her spine once more, making her want to run away and cry like a baby. She shrunk back with a gasp as the long-haired demon man took another step closer. She scuttled back further in the stream, unconcerned by the water now, trying desperately to get away. She scanned his movements. He hadn't made any attempts to get closer since his last one, although she could sense he wasn't going to stop any time soon. His hand brushed the hilt of his sword, and that's when she made her move, unclipping a smoke bomb from her belt and throwing it to the ground. It burst and filled the clearing with smoke as she made her escape, Junko hot on her heels. The man's choked curses fill her ears as she sprints through the forest at full tilt, eyes wide with panic.

Her breath came out in harsh pants as she sprints through the foliage, ignoring the sting of her skin catching on branches and thorny brambles. She had to get out of here. Food be damned; there wasn't any point in food if she wasn't _alive _to eat it. Finally, she broke through the dense fauna and saw the tall silhouette of Kyokotsu in the distance. "Kyo-nii!" She calls desperately. His gargantuan form whirls around as she drops to her hands and knees in exhaustion. Next to her, Junko turns to stare at the forest they just escaped from, a loud snarl ripping from the pit of her throat.

"Aikotsu, what's wrong?" Kyokotsu asked worriedly in his raspy tone.

"I-" She begins coughing as she tries to speak, lungs protesting. "I was fishing for dinner, to save money, when this demon man came into the clearing from the forest. He-he seemed mad when he saw me, or-or caught my scent or something! Then he just lunged at me! I'd probably be dead if it weren't for Junko!" Understandably, Kyokotsu is livid.

Some demon lowlife had the nerve to terrify his sister and attack her? Growling low in his throat at such impudence, he stalks up to her and gathers her trembling form in his large palm, bringing her up to hug her to his enormous chest as she clings to his armor. "It'll be okay, Ai, that lowlife will never try to hurt you again. Come on, do you want to make more flower crowns? Let's get you some water." He rambles, doing his best to distract her and wind her down from her panic. Her lips curl into a small smile, despite her still recovering. Just another reason Aikotsu knows she's lucky.

Days later, that strange encounter with the red-eyed demon has all but faded into the recesses of Aikotsu's mind, Suikotsu has returned, and life is good. Just yesterday, they ran into Sango, Katashi-sama, and two of Katashi-sama's brothers. They were on their way to exterminate a few demons causing trouble for a nearby Lord when Katashi-sama had the idea to team up. While the rest of them wreck havoc on the battlefield, Aikotsu soars overhead with Sango, directing her lightning at any demon she sees while her older friend swings Hiraikotsu at full force at the ones Aikotsu's lightning can't reach. Renkotsu is quick to set his opponents ablaze, while Bankotsu deals with his enemy. Jakotsu is having the time of his life, relishing in the screams of his victims. He's so focused on his own prey that he fails to notice a large demon behind him, fangs dripping in saliva and blood. From their vantage point in the air, Sango and Aikotsu are quick to remedy the situation, Aikotsu calling up a barrier around her brother while Sango launches her weapon at the demon so hard it sends the other half clean across the field.

"Ai! I think we need to end this!" Bankotsu shouts imploringly as he holds off a snarling tiger demon with Banryu. His cheek dribbles blood sluggishly, a hazard of getting too close to the damned cat.

Aikotsu nods, her eyes narrowing. She holds out her hands down at the battlefield, eyes falling out of focus as she concentrates on her magic. Slowly, one by one, the opponents stop their unending assault, grasping their heads, limbs, or torsos as pain wracks their forms with every breath they take. Some howl and collapse in agony, others rip their own appendages off in an attempt to stop it, but to no avail. The pain is all an illusion, a carefully crafted spell Aikotsu learned but rarely uses. She prefers not to use it because of what it does. This spell causes whoever it is cast on to see their worst nightmare. These demons have no families, so showing them images of their lover and children dying wouldn't work. Manipulating their minds to believe they're experiencing excruciating pain, however, is an alternative.

The pause of attacks gives her brothers and Sango's family the chance they need, and they end the demons' existences once and for all. As Aikotsu's eyes snap back into focus and gazes down on the combat zone with discontent in her dark eyes. As soon as Junko lands and she and Sango are safely off, Bankotsu gives her a hug with a grim smile, knowing how difficult it was for her to cast the spell. Then he turns to Sango, and brings her into the embrace as well.

"Thank you, Sango." He says, not needing to elaborate what he's thanking her for. She smiles in response, nodding lightly.

After checking over everyone for injuries and collecting their pay, the group departed from the compound, with heavy minds and heavy hearts, in Aikotsu's case. She's glad everyone is okay, but she questions if using that spell had _really _been necessary. It's useful, in the eyes of her brothers. But she hates it. Why would she ever enjoy causing someone pain?

Later that night, back at camp, Sango and Aikotsu converse quietly while their families recount war stories and tales of old. "How is Kirara doing? Didn't her paw get scratched by that one scorpion demon?" Aikotsu asked, giving the nekomatta a once over. Even though Kirara wasn't _her _kitty, she still meant a lot to her.

Sango smiled, gently running her hand over her kitten's fur. "She's taking it easy, but her paw is a bit sore."

Frowning, Aikotsu lets her hands hover above the resting twin-tail, letting her miko powers heal the injury. The effect is almost instantaneous, the raw scratch fading away. Once she's finished, the eleven-year-old relaxes against a tree, absently noting just how much of her energy she'd spent today. Her limbs feel stiff and heavy, and she yawns widely. She's asleep barely even a minute later.

Smiling lightly, Sango calls Buyo and Junko over. Junko bumps her large head up against Aikotsu's cheek as the older girl unrolls her friend's travel futon, setting it up for her very exhausted friend. Once it's ready, she gently picks Aikotsu up and settles her inside the futon, pulling the cover up to her chin. Once Aikotsu was settled, Sango set up her own futon and climbed in to rest, Kirara curling up around her to keep her warm. With the three twin-tails curled up around them, Sango falls asleep just as quickly.

_All she can see is fire. She stands in a large estate, perhaps belonging to a wealthy Lord. "You can't have her!" A woman angrily screams, barely heard over the roar of the flames surrounding them. Aikotsu jumps, heart racing in fright. The flames are all around her, running along the ceiling and the walls. They don't touch her, but she can feel the heat of the fire. _

_"I'll have my revenge!" A man bellows in all-consuming rage. Her pulse skyrockets in fear, shivers running down her spine. That voice. It's so..._dark. _Dark, and insane, and angry. Carefully, she follows the enraged roars of the man to what looks to be a nursery, the entire room on fire except for one small part of the room, protected by a defensive barrier. A woman with long hair is huddled against the wall, holding a bundle in her arms protectively, with a tall man with dull white hair standing over her menacingly. _

_"Get your hands off of me!" The woman shouts back, tears building in her eyes. The side of her many kimonos is stained a dark red, blood staining her arms as she holds the bundle. Aikotsu pauses. Hasn't she seen that woman before? _

_"If I can't have you, bitch, then _**no one will!**_" The man, a demon, screams back at her, fangs stretching over his lips in fury. _

_"Stop!" A servant with short brown hair runs in the room, soot and scratches on her face, arms, and neck. "Leave them alone, demon!" She shouts at the demon, uncaring of her own safety. _

_"Sachiko, run!" The first woman pleads and attempts to bring up a second barrier to protect the servant. _

_Enraged, the demon grabs a katana from his back, stalking towards the servant. "I'll kill you all!" _

_"**NO!**" _

Aikotsu jolts awake, panting and breathing shallow. Her pulse thrums through her whole body, hands shaking. She's covered in a cold sweat, but can't be hotter. Throwing off the covers, she lays in her futon, staring up at the sky above and trying to recover. That same nightmare again. That same scene of fire, and blood, and screams. What can it mean? Why won't it stop? Dealing with the nightmares has gotten easier as she's grown up, and she doesn't have screaming fits anymore, but they still haunt her when she's tired or upset.

A hot wet tongue on her cheek draws her out of her speculation, and she turns to see Buyo's large face inches from her own, giving her what she can only assume is a concerned look. She smiles, her eyes lowering as a warm feeling replaces the cold shock of her nightmare. Reaching out, she gently scratches his chin and closes her eyes as he rumbles a deep purr in her ears. Just before she falls asleep, she feels him settle down against her again, draping his thick tails over her.

Thankfully, as she slumbers this time, her dreams are happy and not filled with screams. The camp site is quiet and serene, only the crackling of the fire heard.

And unbeknownst to the slumbering group, a lonely man weeps to himself, out of grief or relief, he isn't quite sure. "Can it be, my love? Is it really her?" He pulls a toy, stained with soot and blood, from his robes, clutching it tightly in his hands.

* * *

Whew! This chapter was a toughie! I can't tell you how difficult it was! Maybe because of writing five chapters pretty much right after another? Oh well, it's out now! Now to tackle the responses in the reviews.

elohiniar: Thank you for your reviews! I always appreciate reader's thoughts on my projects. Yes, I know that my tenses tend to flip between past and present, that's intentional. I know it isn't exactly correct, but I feel like using one tense too much makes the dialogue or writing seem...stagnant. Get me? Don't worry, I try not to do that in my actual professional works, and if I do, they can always be edited. The tense switching is just a personal thing, for my fanfiction and fictionpress works, not for actual publishable projects. In response to why I changed my penname, I just felt a change was needed. I'd had the penname 'FireHanyou_' since I was thirteen, and I'd had a few ideas for new names in the works for a year or two. Sometimes you just have to change it up a bit, ya know? If I decide I don't like the name after all, I'll go with one of my other choices (Silver Sin and Cosmos1126 respectively). And if _that _doesn't work out, then I'll go back to my FireHanyou name. I hope that isn't too confusing. I _did _post an update about this change on my profile though. (update upon seeing your chapter five review: I only changed my name once, dear! My Tumblr is still the same though, therebelalchemist. If you want, you can just call me Silver Sin, it's much easier.)

itzatakahashi: Thank you so much! It's been a pleasure even posting this, and getting such positive feedback is amazing! When I first started out writing, I wasn't very good, and I got a couple of bad egg reviews in response. Getting those at the early age of eleven or twelve made my confidence take a serious hit unfortunately, and I still get nervous whenever I see a notification for a new review, but it's not so bad anymore.

Despite this chapter wringing me like a wet washcloth, I'm happy with the end result, and I hope you are too! Maybe I'll come up with some more ideas I can use..

I swear to god I'm nearly bouncing in excitement! I can't wait for you guys to see everything! It's gonna be amazing and it's gonna pull your heartstrings like a seamstress!

-Silver Sin


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates.**

Hi again! So after the clusterfuck of chapter six, I say we just jump right into seven and get the ball rolling. I think I plan to have the first major conflict by about chapter eight, and the massive reveal maybe at chapter ten? It's still sort of up in the air, but I think I have a partial outline. Oh! So I checked the reviews, and I was both delighted and amused to find that for a story named "The Lucky Seven", there are _seven _reviews (as of an hour ago, 2/10/2020 5:38 PM), and I happen to be on the _seventh _chapter. Hah.

I also just have a thing for sevens maybe. Fairy Tail ring a bell? 7/7/X777? Hehe. Dragons and Layla. It had always confused me until the final season. Honestly Mashima, you dragged us all along since 2008, you cad. (Ps. I had to look up the manga volumes/chapters, and the release dates so I could have it right. My first guess was off by a year, with 2009.)

With that said and done, onto the chapter!

Chapter seven: A Stab in The Dark

* * *

"Inuyasha! What happened to you?!" Aikotsu gasps in shock at the sight of so many bruises and cuts on his skin. He has a goose egg on his forehead, though it seems to be fading. His ears droop, amber gaze narrowed at the ground sadly.

"Mother was runnin' a fever, an' the village healer was out visiting family. So I went down to the nearest village to get her some medicine." He kicks at the ground, scuffing up some dirt. "They yelled at me, called me a dirty half-breed, and told me to get out. When I didn't leave quick, they threw rocks at me." Aikotsu, who was well used to abuse at the hands of infuriated adults after one too many thieveries gone wrong, frowned in empathy.

"Inuyasha..." She whispers, raising her hands. He flinches, just for a second, which utterly pierces her heart. Then he seems to reign in his instinct to react, and lets her do as she pleases. Gently, she calls upon her powers, letting them rise to the surface and ease the pain of her dear friend. Her eyes are downcast and morose as she watches the damage disappear, and doesn't release her breath until every single scratch and lump fades away. Once he's healed, she takes a step or two away, respecting his personal space, although she still feels horrible.

They're don't speak for several agonizing seconds, both unsure of how to approach the subject. "It was the village due East of here, wasn't it?" She asks quietly, turning her head to watch the sky and giving him the time to answer whenever he wants to.

"...Yeah.." He concurs, staring at the ground again.

Her hands curl into fists, dark eyes narrowed at the passing clouds above. "I should have known." She whispers, unsurprised but still incensed. "Ya know the last time Ban-nii and I went there, they said I was a worthless bastard child? Just because I didn't have parents?" She snorts. "Whatever. I saw one of the men smack their son in the face once. At least _my _family doesn't abuse me like they do with theirs. Who needs parents if they do _that_."

The two children are silent. Then, Aikotsu breaks the silence again. "Is Izayoi-sama okay? Or does she still have the fever?" Izayoi-sama is one of the only adults who has ever been nice to her. She's kind and loving, and Aikotsu hopes she's alright.

"She still has a bit of a fever, but it went down a lot." The young half-demon answers, feeling a lot better thanks to Aikotsu's healing. Aikotsu nods before asking Inuyasha to take her to their hut.

Checking in on Izayoi-sama didn't take long. Like Inuyasha had said, she wasn't that far off from being completely healthy, only needing a slight boost from her healing powers. Despite the minimal temperature, Aikotsu still heals her, wanting her discomfort to go away as soon as possible. Once finished, Aikotsu bid them both farewell and was dashing off to Sango's house at full tilt. She has a village to tattle on.

A little later that day, Aikotsu skips away from Katashi-sama's house, happy with her decision to tell him what that village had done to Inuyasha. It wasn't fair. From what Izayoi-sama had told her, she and Inuyasha's father had loved each other very much and hadn't cared about the difference between humans and demons. Flowers do not choose where they bloom, much like how children cannot choose who their parents are. Those rude villagers had no right to target Inuyasha because of his parentage.

...

Aikotsu gazes happily at the bright colors decorating the village. This time, Suikotsu is working as a doctor, and Renkotsu and Ginkotsu as blacksmiths. Mukotsu, not being a fan of crowds or villages in particular, decides to stay back at camp and make more smoke bombs. Kyokotsu knows he'd only scare everyone with his height and large fangs, so he stays behind as well. That leaves her, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu to wander the town. Bankotsu had immediately run off to the first food cart he'd smelled, leaving his brother and sister behind in a cloud of smoke at the entrance.

"A festival.." She breathes. "Doesn't it sound fun, Ja-nii?" She asks her brother excitedly, hardly able to not start jumping up and down. He gives her a smirk.

"Sure. Well, if you enjoy the scent of smelly assholes, that is." He remarks and grins wider when she playfully smacks his arm. "Yeah, it sounds fun. Maybe we'll check it out before we leave. Didn't you get a nice yukata for your birthday? That'd be perfect, since it's still a bit cold." Aikotsu lets out a squeal and jumps up and down before gathering him in a tight hug.

"Really? Thank you, Ja-nii!" She smiles widely, almost ready to spontaneously combust from sheer happiness.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Just no more stealing, alright?" He gives her a playful stink-eye, leaving her to roll her own dark orbs.

"Ja-nii, you know I stopped that after the last time when I was six." They both stop short, and a pause reigns between them, the same scene running through their minds. "A-anyway, I don't have any intention on doing _that _again." Spotting Bankotsu, she grabs her brother's arm and yanks him over to their brother and leader. "Come on! Ban-nii has food!" She says excitedly, in an attempt to distract both of them.

Jakotsu lets her drag him wherever she pleases without complaint. He can't explain it, but there's something about Aikotsu that doesn't make him want to murder her like every other woman he's met.

Later that night, Aikotsu is collecting some herbs for Suikotsu once again. They're running low on salve and poultice once again, due to how often they all get injured, and so they need quite a lot. She grunts, finally yanking the stubborn thing out of the ground, and drops it into her waist pouch. She's already got a decent amount, but she still wants to grab a few more, just in case.

Just as she grasps another root out of the ground, she feels something. It's quick, so much so that she doesn't even have time to scream.

Aikotsu looks down, staring uncomprehendingly at the blood-stained steel blade sticking out of her stomach. It's yanked out just as quickly as she was stabbed, and she gasps as she feels her blood gushing from the wound at an alarming rate. She's never been hurt like this. She's never gotten hurt more than a few bruises during training. Her barrier pulls up within seconds, and she falls to the ground, trying desperately to pull herself back up. Get back to the boys. Get to that village. Get to _anyone_.

She slowly turns herself around and finds a tall demon man with long flaxen hair staring down at her, her blood dripping off of the blade and onto the ground. His scarlet eyes bore into her brown ones, the unhinged look in his freezing her cold though her wound burns with pain.

"I finally found you, you little **_bitch_**." He purrs murderously, maddened scarlet eyes glaring down at her. Her heart leaps into her throat, dark eyes wide with terror. She can't breathe, staring up at him in horror. "I'll have a lot of fun with you, little girl. I can't wait to see your white skin stained red."

* * *

BOOM! Can you guess who the villain is?! It's gonna blow you away, I swear! So, this chapter sort of played me like a violin too, mostly because I had a beginning and an ending, but no frickin' middle up until last night. And even then, it was just an outline at best. So here's chapter seven, join Aikotsu as she runs from a lunatic in chapter eight!

-Silver Sin


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Hi guys! I know you aren't really interested in what I have to say because you wanna see what happens next, so I'll just get right to it!

Chapter eight: Hide-and-Seek Gone Wrong

* * *

She can't explain how this happened.

_'Run! Keep running!' _Aikotsu urged herself desperately as she tore through the forest at full tilt, her side uncomfortably spasming in pain. _'Where am I? Oh no! I'm lost!' _She realized with mounting terror. Deciding to just wing it now, she veered off of her original course and took a hard left, honestly just trying to escape with her life at this point. Her pursuer was still right on her tail, his weapons and attacks all bouncing off of her barrier. The only reason she was currently injured now is because he'd caught her off guard, too quickly for her barrier to activate.

"I wonder, what will your father think when I send him your heart, all bloody and carved out of your chest? I can tell you're scared of me. That bitch Midoriko was too, but she didn't show it. You can't hide that you're afraid." He calls out tauntingly, loud enough for her to hear. Against her wrist, her bracelet warms up to uncomfortable levels, almost as if enraged at what he said.

Her side throbs as it bleeds steadily, staining her kimono and the grass beneath her a dark scarlet hue. Her pale alabaster skin is smudged with blood, both wet and dry. Her eyes, wide with panic, scour the unfamiliar foliage as she desperately tries to save herself. _'Someone, anyone, help me!' _She pleads to the heavens. Just then, the ground underneath her collapses, and she begins freefalling down a steep cliff. A second barrier activates the moment she drops, but it still bounces off of trees and lands her at the very bottom, rattled but alive. For now. She quickly huddles under an alcove at the bottom, just large enough to hide her and her barrier from her pursuer. Just to be sure, she casts a spell that sends her scent off to the right. Hopefully that'll take him off of her tail for a while.

She hides carefully, masking her scent and current location, as the demon drops to the ground and starts sniffing. He harrumphs. "I'll get you, you little bitch. You won't get away from me." He mutters before taking off after the false scent trail. As soon as she's sure he can't follow her, she rockets off to the left and runs until she can't anymore. Her legs burn with exertion, her lungs scream for a break, and her consciousness is on its last leg at best.

Panting in exhaustion, Aikotsu leans against a tree, her hand pressed tight against her wound. Black spots dot her vision, and she feels faint.

Tears begin to build in her eyes, and she smiles weakly. _'I don't think I'll be able to go to that festival with you, Ja-nii.' _She then loses consciousness, her tears sliding down her face in a river as she collapses to the ground.

...

He can't explain it, but something's pulling him this way. He's exhausted, nearly catatonic in his overwhelmed emotions. But he keeps going, knowing he wouldn't be drawn this way if not for something important.

He follows the pull, unsure of where he's going but he somehow knows that it's important. His blood pulses through his veins as he makes his way through the thick foliage. Pain, not his own, throbs in his side, pulling a quiet growl from his lips. Finally, he stops, apparently at his destination.

And there on the ground by a tree, is a girl. It's that same girl he saw fishing with the nekomatta, unconscious with a dark blood stain at her side. He cautiously steps closer, not wanting to be on the receiving end of another one of her smoke bombs again, but she doesn't move. Her skin is pale with blood loss, still bleeding sluggishly onto the grass. His gaze drops to her blood-stained arms, and his eyes lock onto the bracelet around her wrist.

A memory from a time long gone by washes over him, comforting and heartbreaking at the same time.

_"Shikon jewel? What's what?" He asks, setting down his teacup. _

_"The Shikon jewel is a fabled gem of immense power, but that isn't true. __People think the jewel can grant wishes, but that's not true either.__" His mate says, settling their daughter back in her futon. "The Shikon jewel is actually the soul of a priestess after using all of her powers. If a priestess uses up all of her powers just before death, her power coalesces into the jewel while annihilating any enemy in the area. It's a dangerous spell, one that ultimately ends the life of the caster. It can however, reveal when someone is lying or telling the truth." _

He doesn't realize he's crying until his face is already wet with tears, and he wipes them away absently. Staring at the pink bauble, he is hit with a strange wave of happiness and utter grief. He feels conflicted. What should he do? He knows that she is hurt, and she looks _so much _like her that it hurts. She needs help.

With resolve burning in his veins, he effortlessly picks up the unconscious girl, and then pauses. Where did she come from? Maybe there's a scent trail? He is relieved to find one, and traces it back to the bottom of a cliff, where her scent goes upwards. Jumping up the cliff, he tracks her scent all the way to a clearing that has clearly been scavenged for herbs. Eyeing the pouch on her belt, he has a feeling this is where she started running from. This theory is only proven correct when he spots the dark circle of blood on the grass, long dried by now.

He makes his way through the dark forest, narrowing his eyes contemplatively at a faint light in the distance. As he gets closer, he sees its a campfire. Around it are seven men. He makes sure that his footfalls are heard, so as to not overly startle them.

"Excuse me! Where is the nearest village? This girl is hurt." He announces, stepping into the area. He isn't exactly in the camp, but he's close enough that they can see him.

The group turns around to get a good look at him, and freeze. Their eyes lower to stare at the girl in horror. The short boy with long braided black hair is on his feet in an instant. "Aikotsu!" He shouts, running over to the unconscious girl. He is quick to take the girl from the stranger, eyeing him distrustfully as his brother sets up a futon and begins tending to the wounded girl. "Who are you?" The young boy demands. "How did you find her? What happened?"

"I am a Lord of the Southern lands. I was travelling to my sister's castle when I caught the scent of blood and it led me to her. She was collapsed against a tree with blood pouring from her side. I tracked her scent back to a clearing and then here." He says calmly and carefully, hoping not to anger the seven individuals. True, he can defend himself with ease should this turn violent, but he has no wishes for it to come to blows. Staying a respectable distance away, he watches the one with spiky black hair as he tends to the girl, Aikotsu, with the skill only a doctor would have.

They remain silent as Aikotsu is tended to, the atmosphere tense and thick. Buyo curls up at her shoulder, purring like a thunderstorm in an attempt to offer her comfort. Junko however, is watching the Southern Lord intensely, her back to her kitten, her bright red eyes trained straight on him. She isn't letting him leave her sight for even a second.

Aikotsu remains unconscious for another hour or so, her eyes occasionally scrunching up in pain or a frown twisting her lips. The Southern Lord watches as Bankotsu, the one with the long braided hair, keeps diligent watch over his sister. Apparently the two are very close and are very protective of one another.

It's the twitching of her eyelids that alert them that she's finally starting to rouse. The Southern Lord sits up straighter, watching as Bankotsu also straightens and his face changes from grim worry to palpable relief.

"Hey, I think she's waking up!" Bankotsu says with visible relief, hovering over his sister. Her eyes slowly but surely crack open, only the narrowest of slits, hazy and unfocused. "Ai, can you hear me?" She gives a weak cough in response, her throat raw and dry. Suikotsu brings her a water canteen and gently holds it for her to take a small sip.

"W-where am I? What happened?" She asks hoarsely, trying to connect the dots. Bankotsu gives her a sympathetic look, smoothing her bangs.

"You were attacked and lost consciousness. Luckily for us, someone found you and brought you back to us." He informs her. "Suikotsu bandaged you all up, so as long as you don't do anything to stress your wound, you should be fine in no time. But for the sake of us not dying of worry, try not to get impaled by swords, Ai." He playfully pokes her cheek in mock reprimand.

Aikotsu is tempted to snort but refrains, knowing doing so will only hurt her. "I'll keep that in mind when I'm being chased by homicidal weirdos, Ban-nii." She says sarcastically, though not without a small smile. "So where's the person who brought me back? I'd like to _thank my savior _for rescuing a _delicate damsel in distress such as I_." She says, laying the sarcasm on thick. Bankotsu cracks a grin, finally not looking as worried as he had been.

"This is the guy that saved you, Ai." Bankotsu says, gesturing to a man sitting cross-legged a few feet away. As her vision clears and her eyes lock on a man with long black hair and scarlet eyes, wearing a shockingly familiar set of robes, she gasps, backflipping away to a safe distance, injury be damned. She lands right behind Jakotsu, gripping his sleeve with bruising force. Her vision blurs, bandages tight against her skin, but she doesn't dare lie back down. Ignoring how Suikotsu and Bankotsu both scold her for getting up, she grips Jakotsu's sleeve tighter, hiding herself away from the stranger.

"Ja-nii, that's the guy I saw. The one that Junko saved me from." She whispers, not taking her wide eyes off the man once.

Almost instantly, the air froze over. "Is that so?" Bankotsu asks, his amicable persona nowhere to be seen. Jakotsu moves so that Aikotsu's form is completely hidden from sight, a deadly glare on his face. He can feel her tremble against his back, and that makes him enraged.

"So, you're the one who frightened our sister, eh?" Suikotsu bares down on the demon man with an air of absolute death and rage as Jakotsu and Ginkotsu stood protectively in front of Aikotsu. Renkotsu has his oil jug at the ready, while Bankotsu readies his Banryu. Mukotsu was just _waiting _to unleash his newest poison, while Kyokotsu looked ready to devour the demon man.

Honestly having expected this, the demon man makes no move to protect himself. _'Midoriko, give me strength. Please.' _He prays, hoping the second time's the charm.

* * *

And that's chapter eight, my dears! I already have chapter nine started, I hope you've started piling the Easter eggs together. If not, you're in for a bit of a shock.

itzatakahashi: Thanks for your review! I can tell you're a bit confused about the characters, so let me clarify a bit. Aikotsu is Kagome. Kikyo was mentioned in chapter four, as was Kaede. Aikotsu/Kagome was found on the side of the road by Bankotsu when she was about two years old (to his age four). They adopted her into his family, and have adopted Ginkotsu, Mukotsu, Renkotsu, and Kyokotsu into their family. Aikotsu is now eleven years old, and has all the training of a priestess, demonslayer, and thief. She stopped thievery after the shop owner kicked the shit out of her in chapter three.

elohiniar: You're very close, my dear! Your guess isn't very far off, but I have much more planned. I bet no one can see what I have planned for this story.

Also, side note; should I upload The Lucky Seven to Wattpad/Archive of Our Own? I don't really understand the AO3 format, but I've been with Wattpad since about 2014 so I'm more familiar with how that site works.

-Silver Sin


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Chapter nine is here, my friends! *gives computer screen really happy crazy eyes* I know you again don't really care about what I have to say right now, so here's chapter nine!

Chapter nine: Reunited

* * *

Aikotsu stays square behind Jakotsu, not wanting to see the man who scared the living daylights out of her. Although, this man seems leagues less dangerous to her now, in sharp contrast to the crazed lunatic that stabbed her.

"_Start. Talking._" Bankotsu orders icily, holding Banryu in a way that is by no means just a scare tactic. "And we better like your answers." His dark blue eyes bore holes into the demon man's scarlet ones, positively enraged. He'd been cautious of the man at first, but willing to let him stay since he'd found Aikotsu. However, the minute Aikotsu identified him as her first attacker, all prior courtesy went flying out the proverbial window. The demon man would be lucky if he isn't killed for his actions.

"Now, now," A calm, somewhat effeminate, voice calls from the foliage, and a man with long black hair emerges. "No need to get all up in arms about this."

"Byakuya.." The first black-haired man mutters. The other raven-haired man smiles widely.

"Hi, big brother! How are you?" His cheerful face and words dimmed as he asked the question, and the first man's mood seemed to follow.

"Could be better, could be worse."

"Um, hello?! You still have a load of explainin' to do! Like why you saw fit to attack our sister and terrify the daylights out of her!" Bankotsu roars, holding Banryu up threateningly.

"Alright, now, let's take a step back and calm down. Then we can explain." Byakuya interjects calmly, waiting out "Hurricane Bankotsu" like it's nothing.

Although the saner of the brothers had - begrudgingly - allowed the man to explain himself, Jakotsu and Bankotsu plastered themselves on either side of Aikotsu, both their weapons in reach. She kept her eyes on the ground, not even blinking when Mukotsu offered her a flower crown he'd made for her. Suikotsu had made her lie back down again after redressing her wound, with the _very _stern warning to not do that again. And to be honest, she had no intention of doing so again. She hadn't _wanted _to backflip while having a gaping wound in her side, but it was a knee-jerk reaction. She'd just seen the man who had tried to attack her. In her position, anyone would react as she had.

After everything had calmed down, the demon man took the chance to explain himself. "My name is Lord Naraku of the South. Nine years ago, I left my kingdom on business with the East, and came back weeks later to find my people and my mate dead, and my pup missing. I've been turning over every stone I could, just to try and find her. I could feel it every time she was sad or hurt, and it _killed_ me inside, that my pup needed help and I couldn't offer it." His hands clench into white-knuckled fists, his whole body trembling with grief.

Aikotsu had been listening carefully, feelings conflicted, however she pauses when her wrist starts burning, looking down as much as she can at the bracelet that seems to almost be scorching her skin. She scratches at her wrist, narrowing her eyes as the burning stops abruptly. Her eyebrows furrow, wondering what all of that was about. However, she's distracted when Naraku begins speaking again.

"The day I first saw your sister there, it was by a stream and she had been catching fish," Kyokotsu's teeth set to a grind, remembering the day Aikotsu had burst from the trees in a frazzled panic, calling his name in terror. Judging by her clenched jaw, Aikotsu clearly remembered it too. "I suppose I didn't give myself the best introduction there, did I?" Naraku at least has the decency to look sheepish. "For that, I am sorry. Aikotsu-san, I'm truly sorry that I frightened you that day. I'd been up for several days at that point, and had caught your scent upon entering the clearing and was overwhelmed. I know it doesn't excuse how I scared you, but I do offer my humblest apologies."

From next to Naraku, Byakuya smiles brightly. "My name is Byakuya. I am Naraku's younger brother, and myself and our two siblings can confirm his story. We can even prove it. Big brother, your barrier?" Sensing what his brother is asking, Naraku nods and calls his barrier up easily within seconds, far quicker than even Aikotsu can accomplish. And just like hers, his barrier is a transparent pinkish red shade.

Aikotsu's mouth falls open, staring at the barrier identical to her own with shock and fascination. Barriers are unique to each person, unless related through demon blood. Mimicking a barrier is impossible, Sango told her. The only way for two barriers to be exactly the same...

Her hands tremble, mind racing at the thought.

A father. She has a father? And, if she has a father...she had a mother? But, she's dead now. Inexplicably, a deep sorrowful feeling grips her, feeling absolutely horrible, mourning the loss of a mother she hadn't known she had. She turns her head away, wanting to just fall asleep and forget it all. She doesn't want to think anymore. Her life was so much easier before. Now she has a father and a dead mother and a psychopath who nearly killed her. Her hand grasps the bracelet around her wrist, desperate for any sense of normalcy. Her life has just been thrown on its head. All she wants is something familiar.

Unbidden, she begins to hum her lullaby, hoping that she can just fall asleep and be free from this craziness for a while.

Naraku had just been in the middle of giving the brothers more information when he heard a hauntingly familiar song. It was soft, but undeniable. Tears prick his eyes, letting the tune wash over him like a soothing balm.

"Words are born into air, and quickly fade out in the wind. But they find their way inside you, where they live on forevermore..." He watches as Aikotsu pauses her humming, turning her head back to stare at him, dumbstruck. "You can see just how much you've grown. How strong you are..."

Aikotsu is baffled, noting just how perfectly the words and the tune match. She isn't sure what is, but something tells her to continue. So she does, and together, they revive a song from a time long gone by.

As the final note fades into the wind, the two are left to stare at each other in silence, one contemplative and the other wearing a sad smile. The silence is broken by Byakuya, who sniffles into his sleeves, trying not to cry. "That was beautiful!" He coos, choked up.

"It's funny, you know? Your mother Midoriko used to sing that lullaby to you every night." Naraku informs her, a rueful smile curling his lips. "She sang it to you the night I left for business. The last night I saw either of you. And somehow you remembered it, even after nine years." At this, Aikotsu furrows her eyebrows, honestly not sure how to process this.

"To be fair, I could only remember the tune, not any of the words." She retorts, vaguely catching the sound of Jakotsu snorting under his breath. After casting him a small glare, she sets her eyes back on the man.

...

After that emotional rollercoaster, Suikotsu had been quick to put his sister back to bed, assuring her that everyone would be there when she woke up. While she slept off her stress and injury, the Band of Seven and Naraku and Byakuya began going further into depth. The boys were sad to know that their sister's mother had died such a horrific death, and they felt indescribably bad for the man for losing everything in one fell swoop, but they refused to let her go. Aikotsu was their baby, specifically Bankotsu's, and no one would take her unless they got through them first.

Unbeknownst to them, Naraku had no intention of taking Aikotsu from her brothers. In spite of the short amount of time he's known them, he can tell just how close they are, and splitting them up would only upset her. That's the last thing he wants to do. They all continue to talk well throughout the rest of the night, and when it's time for bed, Naraku calls upon a powerful barrier to keep them all safe while they're asleep.

Bankotsu smooths Aikotsu's bangs once more, glad they have her back. True, she got hurt, by some psychopath, but they got her back. They can all discuss the most shocking news tomorrow, after everyone's well rested and not asleep on their feet. With his sister at his side, Bankotsu is quick to drift off.

Naraku is the last one left awake, contemplatively gazing down at the grass. The stench all over Aikotsu's wound spoke legions, all signs pointing to who her attacker was.

_'So, you've finally made your move, brother?' _Naraku's dark red eyes narrow, a dangerous sneer twisting his lips. _'Well if you think you'll win this time, you're sorely mistaken.' _Reinforcing his barrier, along with adding a second one just for precaution, Naraku finally succumbs to sleep. Even though he's slumbering peacefully, his barriers are still strong, his immense demonic energy enough to effortlessly keep them up through the night.

* * *

Wow! Naraku is Aikotsu's father! Can you believe it?! I bet you won't believe who the _actual _villain is though! I can give you a hint; he _is _a canon villain "partnered" with Naraku during The Final Act. ;D

I'll put together all the Easter eggs in chapter ten. I wonder how many you picked up on?

-Silver Sin


	10. Chapter 10

Hi guys! The reveal has been made! Naraku is Aikotsu's father! Holy hell weasel! Did you put it all together?

In case you missed anything, I put together all of the Easter eggs:

(Chapter one) Bankotsu finds a two year old on the side of the road, alone and covered in blood and soot. The pink barrier that protected Jakotsu and Aikotsu. The strange bracelet present on her wrist since she was found. The sad woman who disappeared after giving a sad smile.

(Chapter two) Aikotsu nearly getting kidnapped for the first time. The lightning.

(Every chapter) Aikotsu continually nearly getting kidnapped. Conscious and subconscious barrier summoning, effortless maintenance.

(Chapter three) The dream at the end. And her lullaby. Her athleticism. Think about it. No human is as flexible or agile as Aikotsu. But...Inuyasha, a half demon, is.

(Chapter six) The nightmares of fire and blood and screams. Sound familiar? Read **_"NO!". _**Her barrier didn't activate around Naraku, but it did against the man who injured her.

(Every chapter) Her absolute abhorrence of all violence. Sounds reasonable, especially once you get to read what happened the night everything went to hell.

I think that's all the Easter eggs, did you catch them?

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. ****I do not own the song I put in last chapter, it's from the anime Fairy Tail, it's solely property of the creator, which I am not. I selected the song because I felt it matched the story and the dynamic between Naraku and Aikotsu. The song is known as Lyra's Song, from Fairy Tail season one, during the Deliora arc. **

Can I just name this chapter "Aww"? No? Fuck.

Chapter ten: Questions and Not So Many Answers

* * *

The next day was just as mind-boggling as the day before had been. Aikotsu's bleeding thankfully stopped overnight, although her wound was still open and not healed yet. She's still confined to bed rest, to her utter displeasure, and Suikotsu is on the verge of tying her to her futon to keep her there. Fortunately for everyone, Naraku and Byakuya are quick to continue the talk from yesterday, thus saving the seven brothers from their injured sister's fiery wrath.

"So, Naraku, why doesn't she look more like you if she's your daughter?" Suikotsu asks, gently pushing his sister back into her futon once again. He's utterly unphased as she bares her teeth at him, eyes narrowed in fury.

"I imagine her appearance changed to aid in hiding her identity. Although to be completely honest, she doesn't look too much different compared to when she was a baby, apart from the fact that her eyes were the same color as mine. Right now, she actually resembles her aunt Hitomiko." The demon man hypothesizes, giving his infuriated daughter a look as she attempts to sit up again. That combined with Suikotsu's doctor glare, she's effectively cowed back into lying down, though none too happily.

At that point, the mood changes drastically, as the brothers release a more serious question. "I have a question." Bankotsu says. "I don't suppose you were able to find out who exactly hurt Ai, did you?" He's itching to give the bastard who hurt her a piece of his mind, and give him a reason to never piss him off ever again.

Naraku frowns, eyes narrowing at the ground. "I have a feeling that it may be my older brother." Byakuya has a similar response, glaring at the trees.

"Your brother?" Bankotsu echoes.

"Yes, my older brother Magatsuhi. He's the eldest out of five, and I'm the second eldest. And..he's to be put bluntly, a complete nightmare. See, he's always had something of a resentment, if not complete hatred for me, since our father passed over him and named me the successor. He was supposed to be the Lord of the Southern lands, but father saw how...unhinged he was, and decided he wasn't the best match. Ever since then, he's hated me. And it only got worse when I met my mate Midoriko. He was...unhealthily interested in her, to the point of obsession. I don't think he loved her at all, but I do think he wanted her to spite me in some way. When she turned out to be my mate, and agreed to become full mates, he also went ballistic."

"Yes," Byakuya agrees, "Big brother has never been the best at controlling his emotions. And he certainly isn't very stable. I personally believe he's at fault one hundred percent. If what you said about her barriers is true, then only Magatsuhi would be able to strike too quickly for her barrier to pull up."

"He sounded like the man from my dreams." Aikotsu suddenly chimes in, her tone unnervingly flat. She's staring up at the tree tops, and hasn't said much since waking, not until now.

"You mean-" Jakotsu begins uncertainly, only to get cut off by Aikotsu's curt nod.

"Dreams?" Naraku and Byakuya ask in tandem, turning to look at the injured girl.

"Aikotsu has nightmares sometimes, of the same thing over and over. Fire, blood, bloodcurdling screams. She's had the same dream since she was two. The dreams have only gotten a bit more clear as she's gotten older, but it's still the same set. She's walking through a castle drenched in flames, screams all around her, and the walls and ceiling are ablaze but the fire doesn't touch her. She follows the frantic yelling of a woman and the enraged shouts of a man to a nursery where a woman is huddled up against a wall, a barrier keeping her and a bundle in her arms relatively safe from the man just outside of the shield." Suikotsu explains.

Then Ginkotsu picks up where he left off. _"The man's yelling like a maniac, and then a maid runs in, telling the man to leave the woman alone. The woman begs the maid to run, and the man says he'll kill them all as he stalks to the maid. The dream ends with the first woman screaming 'NO!__'." _

The thought of an eleven-year-old having such a horrific nightmare is enough to make Naraku pause, however the mention of the nursery alerts him once again.

Then, as Bankotsu leans over to grab a fish skewer from the fire, something falls from his haori. It's a piece of fabric, a pale yellow in color with little white flowers, and no bigger than his palm. "What's that?" The demon man asks, prompting Bankotsu to look down and scoop up the fabric.

"Just something to remind me of how lucky I am. It's a scrap from one of Ai's old kimonos. When I first found her, she was just wearing a tiny loincloth and this tiny little kimono stained with soot and blood. I did my best to wash the blood and soot off, but it didn't make sense to keep the whole thing, so I just kept a piece of it to remind me how lucky I was to find her that day. If I hadn't, I'd probably never have met all of my brothers. Why?"

"Oh, no reason." Naraku says lightly. "It just looks a bit like one of the kimonos my Haruko wore when she was a little girl."

Aikotsu frowns. Haruko? Abruptly, she begins to recall a dream she'd had one night when she was little.

_A woman and a man are playing with a little girl with short black hair. Their faces are obscure and blank, aside from the bright, happy smiles gracing their lips. "You're so cute, Haruko!" The woman gushes._

_"Can you walk to Daddy?" The man asks, and the little girl struggles to her tiny feet and stumbles along until she falls in the man's lap. He sweeps her up into an embrace, holding her dearly. "You did it, my little Haruko! I'm so proud of you!"_

That man is Naraku, and so the woman must be her mother. But, if that much is true...Slowly, her eyes drop down to stare at the child.

Then that means..

That she is...

Haruko.

...

It was maybe a week after that when Aikotsu started to see that Naraku was perhaps a bit more broken than she'd originally guessed. Now, that wasn't to say he didn't have any right to be - he _definitely_ did - but it hadn't taken her long to realize he was a bit...damaged.

After bolting awake to the sound of Naraku screaming someone's name for the third time in one night, Aikotsu struggles out of her futon. Lazily padding over to the still asleep but clearly distraught man, she plops down right in his open arms, and promptly conks right back asleep. She doesn't notice how he slowly, ever so slowly, calms down from his fit and wraps her tightly in his arms, chest still heaving. She doesn't notice his dark red eyes open to stare at her, sleeping peacefully in his arms. She doesn't feel him press a kiss to her forehead before he falls back to sleep himself.

For Naraku, sleep isn't very fun. He used to enjoy it, as any sane person would. But ever since he found his worst nightmare, that same scene plays out every time he closes his eyes, and it still haunts him to this very day. Even when he's exhausted, he still dreams of it and wakes up heartbroken all over again. This night was no different. As usual, he finds the same vision of horror awaiting him as he always does, and breaks down into tears as always. His feelings on his dreams range from annoyance over the consistency and frequency of them, to all-encompassing grief from being forced to relive the single worst moment in his life. Why couldn't he just be normal and dream of his mating ceremony? Or the birth of his daughter? _No_, he has to constantly be tortured by the memory of finding his entire life in ruins. Yes, sleep is very much an enemy of his at this point.

So when he wakes up the next morning to find Aikotsu snuggled up in his arms and snoring like a tiger demon in hibernation, he vaguely wonders just what happened. Then, as lucidity begins to clear the fog of sleep, he's reminded of his awful night, and of having the same nightmare three times in a row. And he also vaguely remembers feeling the eleven-year-old stumble over to him from her futon, climb in his arms, and conk right back out as soon as she was settled.

Well that certainly explains why she's over here. And the snores too, he decides as he picks up on the equally loud snuffles coming from Suikotsu. He rolls his neck and is rewarded with a few satisfying cracks, carefully untangling the still-slumbering eleven-year-old from him so he can stand. Aikotsu's brothers are already up, crowded around the fire, and he makes himself comfortable in between Jakotsu and Ginkotsu.

The brothers greet him amicably, Bankotsu only half-listening as Renkotsu berates him for one thing or another. If they know about his nightmares or even woke up to his screaming, they refrain from speaking of it, which he is grateful for.

Now, Naraku's had a question for them all burning up in him for days now, anxiously awaiting for the right time to go for it. "I want to thank you for allowing my brother and I to stay with you, especially after our less than savory first meeting."

"Think of it as a thank you for saving Aikotsu from that psychopath." Renkotsu offers, standing up to go kick Suikotsu awake.

Aikotsu is unfortunately roused by her brother's infuriated squawk, shooting upright with dazed brown eyes as the doctor swears violently at their scarf-wearing brother. Other than looking incredibly tired, she's otherwise unfazed by everything, completely ignoring the coarse language flying around the camp as she ambles over to the fire and grabs a skewered fish away from the fire.

Buyo and Junko curl up in her lap as she eats, although she has to pick a couple of pieces off of her breakfast for her cats when they look up at her. Clearly, she's no match for the big wide eyes they give her.

"There is something we'd like to ask of you all, though." Byakuya states, before giving his brother an encouraging smile.

The eight siblings turn to look at the demon man, and he swipes his tongue over his suddenly dry lips. "I was perhaps wondering if you all would be alright with Aikotsu meeting her aunts. It's entirely up to you all, but I just don't want to hog the opportunity to see her again from my sisters."

Bankotsu hums in his throat. "I think it's honestly up to Ai. It's her decision if she wants to meet them." He turns to her. "Ai, what d'ya say? You wanna meet them?"

Suddenly put on the spot, Aikotsu flushes bright red, toying with the stick in her hands. "Um, well, I-I guess it would be cruel not to, right? As long as they're nice, a-and they respect my brothers, of course, then I'm open to meeting them."

...

The first impression Aikotsu has of her aunts is being drowned in tears and smothered endlessly. The very minute their group had crested the hill and could see two women, Naraku had only whispered one thing to her. "Good luck." He'd said.

Now she understood. Still uncomfortably trapped in the tight embraces of the two women, she started squirming this way and that, trying to at least free an arm. "C-can't...breathe..!" She wheezed.

Just as abruptly as she was squeezed to death she's released, the taller of her hug assailants bringing her hands to her mouth with watering crimson eyes. "I'm sorry, dear, I just can't help it!" She gushes. "The last time I saw you, you were only a few months old!" Her long black hair is pinned up in an elaborate bun decorated with multiple gold hairpins.

Her other aunt is as much of a crying wreck as the first one. Her pale cheeks are flushed pink as she cries quietly, her hand muffling her sobs. "I can't believe it! I can't believe you're really here!" She whispers as tears pour down her cheeks.

"Come!" Kagura says suddenly, ushering them all up towards the gigantic castle. "You all must be tired!" Aikotsu, unable to protest, lets the women drag her up into the massive structure, her brothers and the demon brothers following behind. Junko licks her cheek comfortingly from her place on Aikotsu's shoulder, while Buyo pushes himself up against her legs as he offers his own comfort.

As soon as everyone is comfortable, physically speaking, Kagura and Kanna introduce themselves. "My name is Kanna, I am Naraku's younger sister and Kagura and Byakuya's older sister."

"My name is Kagura, and as said, I'm Naraku and Kanna's younger sister, as well as Byakuya's older sister. This castle belongs to myself and Kanna."

Aikotsu chooses to speak up next. "My name is Aikotsu, I'm eleven years old. These are my brothers, Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Suikotsu, Ginkotsu, Renkotsu, Mukotsu, and Kyokotsu." Each boy nods to their name, giving the ladies an idea as to who they are. "And these two are my nekomatta kitties, Buyo and Junko." The girl states, gesturing to each of her cats.

"Nice to meet you all," Kagura responds, nodding her head. "Now, as much as I'd like to keep the topic light-hearted, I must know something. What happened that night, and how did you boys acquire my niece?"

At the question, there's a simultaneous look shared between the founding members of the Band of Seven, an uncomfortable pocket of time where silence reigns.

Bankotsu sighs. "It was about nine years ago.."

* * *

Sorry to cut off at this point, but A) I didn't feel like rewriting Aikotsu's history once more or even copy and pasting it again, and B) well, I just seem to have been working on this chapter for forever. As it is, it's currently 3 PM, and I haven't had lunch yet because I wanted to finish. Oops. *insert shrug emoji*

Join our favorite cast next chapter for more familial nonsense and plots abound!

-Silver Sin


	11. Chapter 11

What's up?! I'm back! I know chapter ten took a bit of a while, so sorry about that by the way, I just wasn't feeling much of what I was pushing out. And I keep getting drawn to other projects that haven't even been posted yet. Whoops. But those will be amazing once _they _go up too!

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Chapter eleven: The Birth of a Lady

* * *

"..And that leads us to now." Bankotsu finishes a time later. The sun has made its way across the sky and now hangs low, a testament to how long they've been there.

Kagura leans back a bit, her head spinning from such a tumultuous tale. "That's a hell of a life, if I say so myself. Being found on the side of the road by a four-year-old and being taken in as family? I can't say many in this day and age would do that. I'm sure they're more likely to kill a child than save them." The red-eyed demoness states, gazing up at the ceiling speculatively.

"Personally, I'm far more concerned about what Naraku said about Magatsuhi. You said he attacked Aikotsu?" Kanna directed the question at her older brother. Nodding, Naraku shifts on his pillow.

"Yes. It was hauntingly obvious that he was behind it."

"He said hurtful things about you." Aikotsu comments, smoothing Buyo's fur. "When he was chasing me, he kept making all these remarks, loud enough that I could hear him. He 'wondered' what you, my father, would think if..." She looks down, feeling badly for how her words are going to affect those around her, even if she's just repeating what her attacker said to her. "If he sent you my heart, bloody and carved out of my chest." She tries to ignore how everyone sucks in a breath. "He said 'I can tell you're scared of me. That bitch Midoriko was too, but she didn't show it. You can't hide that you're afraid'."

Now ordinarily, her brothers would chastise her for swearing, but they were too shocked to even comprehend the expletive. How could someone just say that, to a child?!

Although unlike Aikotsu's seven brothers, Naraku and his siblings are only minorly stunned, far used to the harsh, threatening words of their oldest brother by now. "Is there anything else he said?" Kanna asks, clasping her hands in her lap. Truthfully, she really doesn't want to hear what her insane eldest brother has said to her niece, but knowing everything is paramount.

Thinking back, Aikotsu does her best to separate the immediate feelings of panic from the memories in order to remember the words spoken. Finally, she looks up, nodding. "There is. It was 'I finally found you, you little bitch'." She repeats, and her brothers again pause. Even in all of their years of mercenary business, they've never spoken like that. Well, none of them except for Jakotsu on occasion.

"Wait," Kagura says, prompting all parties to pause and look her way. "He said 'I finally found you', right? That implies he's been _looking _for Aikotsu, for who knows how long." This tidbit brings them all back to speculation, picking through everything they've learned.

Hearing very quiet words, Aikotsu looks over at Bankotsu and Jakotsu, who are whispering back and forth. Jakotsu's next question truly makes her wonder.

"You think so?" She asks out of the blue, startling everyone, even her aforementioned brothers.

"What?" Naraku asks, turning his attention to the three siblings. Jakotsu and Bankotsu remain silent, although a dark look from their sister has them wisely opening their mouths to respond.

"Well, Jakotsu thinks that this 'finally found you' business could be related to a..a problem we had for a number of years while raising Aikotsu." Bankotsu vaguely informs. When he doesn't clarify further, Suikotsu sighs and steps up.

"We would frequently wake during the night to her screaming and being carried away by figures in all black. We'd stop them, or honestly Aikotsu herself would, and we'd interrogate them and if they had no useful knowledge, we killed them." He states dryly, ignoring the looks he received.

"We could never figure out why it kept happening to her or what they wanted with her, but we always figured it was because of her spiritual powers."

"Thankfully it stopped a while after I turned eight." The subject of the conversation helpfully adds. "Basically Ja-nii and Ban-nii think my almost-kidnappings and this Magatsuhi character are connected." She crosses her arms over her chest, frowning. "To be completely honest, I myself have always been a bit curious about my near-kidnappings since I was old enough to understand what was happening. He could have hired grunts to capture me, but I always woke up and either my brothers rescued me, or I did it myself."

"What do you mean 'did it myself'?" Kanna asks. In response, Aikotsu holds up her hand and the air around her charges with electricity, a few bolts of lightning appearing to form from her fingertips. Beside her, Jakotsu's hair spikes up so fast that even Renkotsu has to chuckle. The black-haired boy flushes bright red and does his best to tame his hair back down, giving his sister a dull glare.

"None of us could explain it, but I always had just as strong of a platform for magic as I did spirituality. I can cast complicated magic spells at the same time as maintaining more than one large barriers." The girl explained.

"The magic most likely comes from me." Naraku jumps in to explain. "Growing up, I was also something of a prodigy, or at least my teachers said so, which is another reason why Magatsuhi hates me. He couldn't do magic, and he felt upstaged by his brother."

"Let's think carefully now." Kanna instructs. "Why is Magatsuhi doing this? What is his motive? Because as insane as he is, he's never done something without a reason behind it."

"I think it's all about you." Aikotsu says to Naraku, her dark eyes steady on her father. "Think about it. I was found on the side of the road at two years old, covered in blood and without anyone to look after me. I kept getting almost kidnapped in the night, for years. I dreamt of a woman who I can only assume to be my mother about to be murdered by Magatsuhi, and finally he attacks me and nearly kills me, saying how he'll send you my heart. It's about you. He wants to break you. I'll bet he's upset because of how successful you are. You were made the Lord of the Southern Lands instead of him, you became mated to a strong, beautiful woman and had a child with her as well? He's angry because he thinks you've stolen all of this from him, and he wants to hit you where it hurts."

"The only question now," Kagura interrupts, her hand on her chin in thought. "is how to stop him. Normally if he weren't out of his damned mind, we could talk it out. Unfortunately that's out of the question what with how crazy he actually is, so the only options we have are to either kill him, or imprison him and strip him of his powers so he's no longer a danger to others."

"He would still be a formidable foe, even without his demonic powers." Naraku disputes. "As much as I don't like it, I believe the only way to truly end this is to kill him. He has never been sane, by the slightest stretch of the word, but this has gone too far. To be frank, he crossed the line years ago, and now we are left with his mess to clean up."

"I think if we combined our efforts we could probably surround him on all sides and manage to take him out." Bankotsu suggests. "With you four, plus the seven of us, plus Ai if she's comfortable with it, I really think we could knock him flat on his ass."

"To do that-" Byakuya begins, just before Naraku interrupts, resting his hands inside his sleeves.

"To do _that _we would have to be a great deal stronger than we are now, not just physically speaking. While he cannot use magic like myself, Aikotsu, and my younger siblings can, his demonic power could trump all of that on its own. An exorbitant amount of training would be needed to properly confront him. And I would personally like to train Aikotsu myself. I don't doubt that she's strong, but Magatsuhi was already able to attack her successfully once. Her reflexes will need to improve vastly in order to stand a chance against him."

"That bastard was able to attack her once before, because he struck too quickly for her barrier to come up. While Aikotsu's barrier is a combination of both my brother's _and_ Midoriko's powers, it isn't always foolproof. However, if we work on improving her reaction time, that problem may never surface again. We need to reduce any change Magatsuhi could have at exploiting a weakness of ours. If he has nothing to exploit it's easier to beat him, once and for all."

"If that's what you think will work, we'll be happy to assist you. We are just as eager to get him to leave Aikotsu alone." Suikotsu states with a polite smile.

The demon siblings nod, glad to have sorted that out. However, one issue still remains, and they wish to address it as soon as possible. Kanna, eager to sort this out, jumps right into it.

"Now, all four of us have a question for Aikotsu." Kanna said, turning to the eleven-year-old. "Aikotsu, would you do us the honor of letting us raise you as the proper Lady of the Southern Lands?"

Shocked, Aikotsu's mouth drops open. "I-I um.." She stutters, unsure of herself.

"We're asking because not only will this give you a better opportunity to protect yourself, but you would have the know how to claim your rightful place as the Lady of the Clan. You were always meant to take over once you were ready, but then everything went to hell and you disappeared. Now that you've been found, we'd like to train you how to properly operate this Clan. But only if you accept, of course."

Aikotsu stays silent, needing a few seconds to piece through what she's being asked. Should she? It _may _help her get stronger, but is she really ready for the responsibility of taking on the job they expect her to? And what of her brothers? She can't just leave them behind. And assuming that her father would let them stay with her, would they have to otherwise fend for themselves like usual? She doesn't want to be put on a pedestal if her brothers don't receive the same treatment.

"Wait," Aikotsu says, uncertainty in her voice. In response, the others pause and give her their full attention. "If I do that, becoming the Lady of this Clan, will my brothers be okay? Will they not have to worry about not having food or money or a place to stay?" And although she was normally very timid, the look in her eyes right now is very fierce, the look in her eyes exactly reminding Naraku of her mother. Midoriko always gave him that look when she wanted something, and it never failed to make him crack.

Naraku smiles gently, telling her with his utmost certainty, "I can assure you, dear, that you nor your brothers need worry for any of that ever again. I promise I will take care of you, all of you."

With his promise, and the open, encouraging looks she receives from everyone around her, the young girl steels her nerves, giving him a determined look. "I'll do it."

* * *

Again, I am _so _sorry this chapter took so long to get written/go up. I don't know why, but there's just a million and one things messing with my brain, from thirty seven projects to global viruses shoving my anxiety through the roof, and it's just been fucking me up for a little while.

-Silver Sin


	12. Chapter 12

HI! I'm back and I actually got a start on this chapter while I was trying to work on eleven. Eleven wasn't exactly going so well for me, and then I suddenly got this idea and just had to put it down before I forgot. Oh! I almost forgot, but I now have a Discord server for TLS! You can find the link on my Tumblr account (the-rebel-alchemist). If you can't find the post, then just PM me either on here or on my Tumblr and I'll send the link.

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

Chapter twelve: We're The Lucky Ones

* * *

If Aikotsu thought being the youngest sibling of seven (occasional mercenary) brothers was difficult, she found herself in a world of insanity once she began training to become the Lady of her father's lands. Suddenly almost all of her time was being monopolized by academics, etiquette, and special training for her spiritual, magical, and physical abilities. Her day began at the crack of dawn, starting with an early morning meditation before breakfast. After that was academics and etiquette, then more meditation, followed by lunch and then more lessons. Following that would be a long session of mixed combat and sparring, going between magical and physical attacks and spells. After one more lesson, there was dinner. Finally she would have her bath and then pass out on her bed.

For weeks, her schedule follows these parameters, and while the work is exhausting and she finds herself literally dropping into her futon every night, she can definitely feel herself getting stronger with each passing day. Not only that, but as the Lady of the Southern Lands, she has a better access to educational material; things that would not have been available to her before were now readily accessible and in great abundance. Honestly, her head often feels like it will explode from the constant stream of knowledge being stuffed into it, but the meditation helps keep her calm. Without that, she would have lost it already perhaps.

The only consolation was that her brothers were also undergoing the same torture she was. Just like her, they were being trained to become the Lords of this House. As part of Aikotsu's agreement to become the Lady of the South, she had implemented an addendum; where her brothers would be treated with the exact same measure of respect as she was, and they be made to feel welcome just as she was. Her father had no problem with this, and actually made the decision to declare the seven men as his own children, thereby extending the royal treatment to them in every sense of the word.

Most days, Aikotsu found that the best medicine to heal her frayed nerves was watching Bankotsu try and fail at using proper etiquette. It was truly a treat, watching him fail so many times, but at least he had a smile on his face despite every mishap. That's part of why she admires him; his ability to snap back from any adversity that comes his way.

...

The first time Aikotsu sees Sango in over a full moon cycle, she ends up tackling the poor girl to the ground in excitement. "SANGO-CHAN!" The girl shrieks with unabashed happiness, hugging her dear friend with an even firmer grip than she was known for.

"Have you gotten stronger, Aikotsu-chan?" Sango asked from her prone state on the ground, not even phased by her best friend tackling her. She's honestly received worse during training than a tackle, hence her lack of reaction.

The eleven-year-old rips herself away from Sango, nodding ecstatically as she stands back up. "Yes! I've even gotten better at wielding Hiraikotsu!" The girl gushed happily, unable to keep still. The poor thing is already bouncing on her toes she's so excited. As she pulls herself to her feet, Sango is quick to note Aikotsu's new, obviously quite expensive attire. It's a brand new yukata, black in color with a pretty design of flowers on a branch and a purple splash on the bottom of the skirt and on the sleeves. On her feet, the eleven-year-old sports black okobo with a white foot strap.

With a humored smile, Sango watches as her friend dances from one foot to another, still unable to stand still. "As proud as I am that you're getting stronger, Aikotsu-chan, I have to ask what the reason is?"

"I was nearly murdered!" The girl exclaimed, giggling. In an instant, all activity in the village halted, adults and children alike locking their eyes on the young girl in bafflement. There's a beat, of absolute stillness, where not even the animals move.

"I-I'm sorry, did you say you were almost killed?" Sango questioned, hoping to every God out there that she had misheard or something.

"I said I was nearly killed. See, I was gathering herbs for Sui-nii again, and just as I stood up, I felt something. When I had looked down, there was a sword sticking out of me! And I fell, and then my barrier came up. Then I started running away. I managed to send the guy off in another direction, but then I passed out because I lost a lot of blood." The eleven-year-old explained without a care in the world, somehow not finding a single issue in her statement.

"One of your brothers found you, right?" Sango asked cautiously. In response, Aikotsu shook her head from side to side emphatically, still grinning.

"Nope!" She chirped, further confusing Sango even more.

"Then-"

"That honor goes to me, young lady," A foreign voice announces calmly and Sango looks up to see a tall demon man with long black hair. "I found Aikotsu here passed out against a tree and brought her back to her camp where Suikotsu tended to her wounds." He revealed, offering her a small smile as Aikotsu latches onto his hand with a giant grin.

"And who are you?" Katashi asks as he comes to a stop next to Sango. He's quick to notice Aikotsu, and her grip on the stranger's hand, as well as how unphased Aikotsu's brothers are from behind their sister and the stranger.

The demon smiles again, his dark red eyes crinkling in calm happiness. "My name is Lord Naraku, and I'm Aikotsu's father."

...

Following _that _surprising announcement, Katashi had all but ushered every single one of them back to his hut so that they could properly sort through this without the prying eyes of the villagers.

"So," Katashi begins, settling himself. "Could you explain what you meant by saying you were Aikotsu's father? I was under the impression that she'd been orphaned in an unspecified event."

Sparing a brief glance at Aikotsu, who was blissfully unaware as she entertained herself and Sango, Naraku explains. "No, she _was_ orphaned; technically. Nine years ago, I had left my Clan on business, and when I returned I found every single person dead, including my mate. I searched all around the burned lands, but even so I couldn't find my daughter. I don't know how long I spent just wallowing in my own pity, but every now and then, as the years passed, I would feel pain. Both emotional and physical, the type of pain I'd only feel from my child. That gave me the thought that my daughter was alive somewhere, and while it may have been foolish, it was something to hold on to. So I kept on searching, desperately trying to find the one thing that hadn't been taken from me. One night, I found a little girl collapsed against a tree, bleeding from a terrible wound. That was Aikotsu. I brought her back to her camp and Suikotsu treated her while I explained what I knew."

And although he could see Sango was slightly teary-eyed from the short explanation, Katashi held firm. "I hate to ask this, but can you prove you're her father? Looks only go so far, after all."

"Of course." Naraku easily agreed, pulling his barrier up only a second later. And although she was busy playing, Aikotsu had tuned in just long enough to hear the request, and let hers surround her. The two left the barriers up as Katashi took the time to observe them with a well-trained eye, carefully inspecting the barriers to ensure they were in fact father and child.

Finding nothing that could point otherwise, Katashi relaxed significantly and sat back down. "Thank you." He stated, watching as both barriers then dissipated into nothing.

Since the first question has been solved, Katashi addresses the next issue. "Now, what was this of Aikotsu nearly being killed?"

"Aikotsu was gathering herbs for me one night about a moon cycle ago, when she was stabbed from behind. Her attacker chased her through the woods and kept up until she managed to direct her scent to another direction, giving her the chance to escape. She ran as far as she could before she collapsed against a tree, where Naraku found her and traced her scent back to our camp."

"And do you happen to know who injured Aikotsu?" The demonslayer asked, quiet rage filling him up. He thought of Aikotsu as his own, and the thought of someone hunting her down like a dog set his blood on fire. Similarly, Katashi can see Sango scooting closer to Aikotsu with a pensive look on her face, clearly not privy to the idea of someone hurting her dear friend.

Naraku spoke up then. "Yes, my older brother Magatsuhi. He's also the one responsible for killing the people of my Clan and my mate. It appears as though he's been hunting her down for quite some time."

Seeing Katashi is now confused, Ginkotsu jumps in. _"We think Aikotsu's near-kidnappings are connected to the psycho who hurt her. Like he's been sending goons to kidnap her while we sleep, only they kept failing and he just got tired of it so he came after her directly this time." _

From the far left, Jakotsu casts a glance at Aikotsu, whose face is carefully blank as she manipulates a small fire in her hands using magic, careful to keep it contained to her hands and not let it go anywhere else. He knows she can hear them, but is doing her best to pretend she isn't paying attention.

"We are planning to stage an attack from all sides on Magatsuhi, to catch him off guard." Naraku informed Katashi, who nodded thoughtfully. "The only way to stop him from coming after Aikotsu is to kill him, so we have all been training for approximately a full moon cycle now. I'm quite impressed with the skills of both the brothers and Aikotsu. The boys told me that alongside them, you also had a hand in training Aikotsu?"

Katashi nods once again. "Yes. I took to training Aikotsu in offense and defense while her brothers were away on missions. Although it took a bit longer than usual, due to Aikotsu's aversion to violence, she picked it up quite quickly. I told her that even though she doesn't enjoy violence, and doesn't want to hurt someone, there will be a time in her life where having these skills will come to be necessary, and may even save her life." He casts a look over to the girls. "Clearly, at least some of it helped her escape, and for that I'm grateful."

"I'm fairly sure my escape was pure luck, but thank you for training me all the same, Katashi-sama," Aikotsu announced out of the blue, inserting herself in the conversation for the very first time since they arrived at the hut. "I think without it, I would genuinely have been properly screwed." The eleven-year-old gives a crooked, sardonic grin at the Chief.

"I was wondering," Sango begins, drawing attention to herself. "Could someone explain Aikotsu-chan's new, clearly expensive clothing?"

"That is also my influence," Naraku states. "As I'm a Lord of the Southern lands, she was always meant to be my heir. As soon as she came under my care, I spared no expense in acquiring only the finest of fabrics and garments, and not just for her. I've also supplied her brothers with an updated wardrobe, they just choose not to wear them unless in formal situations. When I last asked about it, they said something about not wanting to ruin them in bloody combat or something to the effects of that. And in addition to training Aikotsu in combat and defense, I have also taken to training her to take over as the Lady of the Southern lands when I retire. Alongside her, I've also been teaching her brothers in the same areas, accepting them as my adopted children. Since then, they have all grown quite spectacularly, not just in combat." The demon man informs.

The rest of the day is spent recounting the last moon cycle, sharing stories and catching up with everyone. And although Sango is glad Aikotsu is safe, she has the very distinct feeling that this isn't the last they've heard of her attacker.

...

Later that night, Aikotsu and Bankotsu can be found relaxing on the veranda, just enjoying each other's presence as they stare up at the star-dotted expanse above them. No words are needed, the silence content as they observe the inky black sky high above them.

Out of nowhere, Aikotsu abruptly breaks the silence. "Ban-nii?" She asks, keeping her eyes locked on the sky.

Humming in response, Bankotsu shifts his gaze to his sister.

"I want to thank you. For everything you and the others have done for me. Not just saving me and adopting me, but for always being there for me and even studying to become princes of Naraku's lands with me. I wouldn't be able to do this on my own, so having all of you here to help me is...so relieving." The eleven-year-old then turns her sights on her brother, and he can see the tiniest bit of tears shining in her eyes. "You can't imagine how lucky I am to have all of you."

Bankotsu smirks, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and they look back up at the stars. "Ai, you're not the lucky one here. Pretty sure it's _us_."

Smiling, Aikotsu snuggles more into his side, her heart full.

* * *

**IT'S FINALLY DONE! CHAPTER TWELVE IS FUCKING DONE! **

**WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

**I'm sorry if no one else is as excited as I am, but this chapter has been giving me problems for a while. Now I just need a chapter thirteen. Not sure how long this story's gonna be. As long as it takes to have the main conflict happen, settle said conflict, sprinkle in more Kid!Inugang, and perhaps an epilogue. **

**-Silver Sin**


	13. Chapter 13

**I am SO sorry this chapter took so long! *takes discrete look at the last post date of June 2nd* I have no idea how or why this damnable chapter took so long, but I really am sorry about it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, all rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi and affiliates. **

**Chapter thirteen: Domestic Royalty and Demon Features **

* * *

As it turned out, having Lady Izayoi also become a mentor and teacher to Aikotsu proved to be endlessly fruitful. The human woman had been the Princess of a very wealthy human family - before her expulsion from the Clan due to her falling in love with a demon and creating Inuyasha - which meant that she had a vast knowledge of the types of things Aikotsu was being taught.

And it was also a bonus that Aikotsu already had a wonder rapport with the woman, and she with her. And because Izayoi was working with Aikotsu, Inuyasha also spent more time with the young girl. He'd been shy and sheepish around her before, even though she was nice from what he could tell, only because he hadn't known her very well. His mother had assured him numerous times that Aikotsu was a perfectly nice young lady, but he still didn't get his hopes up. He didn't want to get hurt if she turned out to be mean, like the few people he had trusted since he and Mother left her birth home.

But after spending time with Aikotsu, he began to see what his mother had explained to him, and he too began to enjoy being around her. She really was nice, and she was also funny too. But she was _also _as stubborn as her brothers, with a temper that rivaled Sango's. Her temper scared him, frankly, although it didn't stop him from being around her.

Much like today. Usually, after a long study session, Aikotsu can be found relaxing on the veranda of the estate with Inuyasha, just enjoying the sunlight on her face and the clean air in her lungs. "I never would have guessed you were like me, Aikotsu." Inuyasha mentioned offhandedly, prompting the girl to look at him.

Thinking it over, the twelve-year-old nods in understanding. "Yeah, I guess it's kind of a shock, considering just how human I look and smell. But Na-" Aikotsu abruptly cuts herself off, needing to remind herself not to call her father by his name. "_Father _said that I most likely hid my scent and more demon features when I was still little to keep me safe."

"Mmm," Inuyasha acknowledges, his ears twitching on his head. "I guess that makes sense. And it worked well enough to keep you safe, which I'm glad about. I'd be upset if you'd been hurt."

Unseen by Inuyasha, Aikotsu's face blossoms bright red and she turns her head away, refusing to let him see even a hint of her flushed cheeks. "I-I'm glad too. And not just because of self-preservation instincts, but because being alive and safe let me meet my brothers, and you, and Sango-chan and Miroku-chan. I don't know where I'd be without all of you, so I'm really grateful that I met you all."

Inuyasha turns to look at her, his eyes wide. A blush begins to darken on his cheeks as he stares at her turned head, and he can see just the tiniest bit of a blush darkening her ears. Abruptly, he looks away, not wanting to get caught, although his eyes do occasionally turn to look at her from the side.

"Hey there, you two! It's dinner time!" Bankotsu announces jovially as he throws an arm around each of them, grinning widely despite the faint black eye he sports. That was a remnant from a sparring session with Renkotsu earlier, a result that left Aikotsu in her usual spinning, stuttering panic upon seeing an injury. She'd then gone to try and treat it to the best of her ability, all the while berating him for antagonizing their scarf-wearing brother.

"What are we having?" Aikotsu asks as she stands up, offering Inuyasha a hand. He takes it, and she can idly feel the slightest press of his claws on her skin. And, she doesn't hate it, to be honest.

"Kyokotsu killed a giant boar demon, so Suikotsu and Renkotsu made a huge meal for us out of that and some stuff from the garden." At her brother's response, Aikotsu's mouth begins watering, just imagining the taste of the meat on her tongue already.

"That sounds really good! Let's hurry up then!" She says excitedly, dragging her brother and her friend down to the dining room.

In typical fashion, dinner ended up being just as wild and rambunctious as it usually is, one or more of her brothers getting into an argument from across the table, the squabbling only being quelled by a look from Suikotsu or herself.

Although as soon as dinner was over, Aikotsu was sequestered away to her spirituality teacher for more meditation, leaving the rest of her night to be filled with exhausting her powers until she could barely even stand.

She practically collapsed into her bed as soon as she reached her room, not even bothering to shut the door or pull her covers over her, immediately dozing off as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning, when Aikotsu sleepily ambled into the bathing chamber for a quick bath, she was passing by the mirror when she suddenly stopped short. She furrowed her brows, stepping closer to the reflective glass, and tried to force her eyes to clear up. When they finally cleared, her gaze traveled over to her ears and locked in place, confusion written on her face.

Because where her ears had been smooth and rounded at the top, they were now slightly tapered, the outer shell beginning to look like a demon's. Her fingers reached up to trace the pointed tip, honestly still confused.

Her examination was only halted by the harsh rumbling growl of her stomach, snapping the girl out of her thoughts and reminding her that she had a bath waiting for her.

Although once her bathing and dietary needs had been tended to, she tentatively padded into her father's study. "Um..Father?" She asked, bringing his attention from a scroll he was reading over to her face.

"Yes? What is it?" The half-way distracted father asked, examining a new letter from some random human lord south of his lands.

Deciding to just be frank, Aikotsu frowns. "This morning I saw something odd with my ears."

At her words, his eyebrows furrow, confused. "What do you mean odd? Come over here and let me see." He said, beckoning her closer to his desk. Aikotsu moved her hair away from her ears, and finally he saw what she was talking about.

He smiled then, and seeing as he obviously wasn't concerned, she relaxed. "Is this part of what you said about my demon features hiding themselves when I was a baby to keep me safe?"

He nods. "That's correct. Your inner demon can tell you're safer now than you were when you were younger, so your more demonic features are beginning to show themselves. I'm sure your original eye color will also begin surfacing again soon. It's nothing to worry about, dear."

Instantly, Aikotsu felt a million times better. "Okay. As long as I'm safe."

...

A vase shatters against the wall with a loud clatter, the sound soon drowned out by an enraged roar. "Why isn't that little bitch dead?!"

The enraged roars that shake the dilapidated castle belong to none other than Magatsuhi, in another one of his rage-filled tangents. The demons that linger in the castle all kept their distance as he continued to fume, not willing to die for getting too close. They can only guess that the "little bitch" he is referring to is his half-demon niece.

The only one not phased by the enraged screaming is a lone demon woman, who watches the tantrum with calm disinterest. She doesn't even blink as another vase shatters against the wall behind her, only tilting her head to the side. "Are you referring to your brother's half-breed daughter?" She asks mildly, although she doesn't really care.

This one question, or rather, one word in it in particular, makes the demon man whirl around, his furious scarlet gaze locking onto her, his lips pulled back to expose a fanged snarl. "That worthless traitor is NOT my brother!" He growls hatefully, practically foaming at the mouth he's so upset by the mere implication. "I'd remember that the next time you talk, if I were you."

Instantly, the temperature of the air drops several degrees, and the other demons feel a chill go down their spines as their eyes shift to the woman. She appears unphased, but the rapidly dropping temperature says quite a bit about how she's feeling right now. "And if _I _were you, I'd remember who needs who in this partnership." Leisurely, she stands, making her way over to him with short strides until she's no less than two feet from him. Her ice cold gaze cuts into him like a thousand frozen knives, pinning him in place against his will.

"I'm going to give you a pass on it this time, but don't you ever forget that **you** work for _me_, and NOT the other way around." With this ominous warning, the woman turns swiftly on her heel and exits the room, leaving Magatsuhi to stew in his juices for a while longer.

...

"Old man," Bankotsu prompts as he and his new adoptive father Naraku watch Aikotsu spar with Renkotsu and Byakuya. "Have you noticed something different about Ai lately?"

"Are you referring to her ears?" The elder asked, his eyes narrowing with pride as Aikotsu successfully throws both her opponents over her shoulders and sends twin beams of lightning at them. "She noticed them this morning in her mirror and asked me about them sometime after breakfast."

"That too." The black-haired boy acknowledges. "But I was talkin' more about her eyes. When she was bitchin' at me for teasing Ren for the scarf again, I saw some flecks of red in her eyes."

"You sound concerned," The elder remarks bluntly, although not unkindly. In response, Bankotsu shakes his head.

"Not concerned exactly, 'cause you aren't. It's more curiosity, I guess. Neither of you seem all that worried 'bout it, so I'm just wonderin' what's the deal about it."

Naraku can understand the confusion perfectly, although you wouldn't expect him to, being a demon and all and having grown up with these things his entire life. "Bankotsu, you have nothing to worry over. Trust me. The changes that Aikotsu's body is going through are perfectly safe and normal, given her situation. All this is is her body knows she is safer than she was when she was growing up, and that she has her biological family with her. To be completely honest, if the invasion hadn't happened, she'd have grown up with these features, instead of having this coming of age sort of thing. These changes ideally should have happened years ago. By demon standards, she's...a bit stunted, to say the least."

"I wouldn't let her hear you say that," Bankotsu smirked, raising an eyebrow with a wince as Aikotsu nailed Byakuya in the knee-cap with her Bo staff before leaping over Renkotsu to knock his legs out from under him in a leg sweep.

"I wouldn't dream of it." The black-haired demon Lord rebuked, pretending to be insulted, although the slight smile on his face broke the façade of offense. "Regardless, since the majority of her living biological family is made up of demons, we can help guide her through the changes as they come. In a short while, we'll even have to keep a better eye on her, her temper more specifically." Naraku informed his son calmly, pulling his hands from his sleeves as he sees the battle in front of them abruptly end with Aikotsu's twin swords held at her uncle's and brother's throats. She's panting, but her face is set in a determined scowl, her dark eyes narrow on her opponents.

"Her temper? She's already a fire-cracker though." The black-haired former mercenary remarked with a grin, seeing his brother and sister exchanging teasing words, letting out a low snicker as he sees his brother mutter something, likely an expletive, under his breath as he rises from the ground. "Can't see how she can get any worse."

Even as he claps his approval towards his son, brother, and daughter, the demon Lord smiles. "Indeed she is, but that's only going to be more pronounced as time goes on. Half-demons have to be careful with their tempers, to avoid accidentally unleashing their inner demon. Like young Inuyasha. From what I understand, his father had a sword forged for him, one that could seal away his demon blood. Aikotsu will need something such as that very, very soon. I'll be leaving within a week to make a trip to an old friend of mine for that very reason."

Bankotsu mulls it over for a second, before he nods in agreement. "Yeah, Lady Izayoi mentioned somethin' 'bout how her mate - Touga I think? - reforged his sword Tessaiga as more of a protection and sealing thing for Inuyasha, so he'd be safe."

"Exactly. I'm heading off to do something like that. I doubt I'll be too long, maybe four days at most?" Naraku's statement turns into more of a question at the end, not entirely sure himself. The blacksmith he'll be visiting is often very flighty and strange, making time always a guess at best.

"Alright, old man. Just don't take too long, or else Ai'll probably shit a boulder." As soon as he says this, Bankotsu begins cackling, unable to contain himself from the absolutely ridiculous-looking image. He can even imagine Ai's poor, red, straining face!

Naraku, wearing an amused but exasperated look, lets his son ride out his laughter. He has no idea what the boy's particularly amused by, but far be it from him to stop him. In any case, like Bankotsu, he too hopes he won't be gone too long when the time comes for him to leave. He's actually loathe to leave, but this is something that needs to be done, whether he wants to leave or otherwise.

To be completely candid, Naraku's had worries about Aikotsu's inner demon for quite a while now. Her demon should have been sealed years ago. Naraku and Midoriko had been planning on going to get a sealing device forged soon after he was supposed to come back from his talks. But then everything came crashing down, he no longer had his wife, and his daughter was sent to the winds, unable to be found until recently.

Elemental demons, like himself and Aikotsu, need to be extremely careful with their tempers and in keeping them in check. When an elemental demon loses control, it's very dangerous for anyone involved. Since they have control over the elements and whatnot, they can easily create a fiery hellscape and kill everything within the area. Naraku's seen other elementals lose it, and most of their reactions once they come back to themselves are devastating. He wants so badly to save Aikotsu from that, so she doesn't have to experience that kind of horror.

He only hopes he won't be too late in getting her blood sealed, for everyone's sake.

* * *

**Okay! Chapter thirteen is now done! *wipes sweat off brow* Again, sorry it took so long. Man, the first five chapters went by so much easier. I still love this story with everything I have, but man writing can be hard sometimes. Also, yeah, this chapter isn't as long as others; sorry. I wanted to try and finish it as best I could (without it totally sucking) and this was the best possible outcome. Sometimes chapter lengths just fluctuate. **

**Come back next time (wherein I hope the next update won't take nearly as long to come out) to see what happens next!**

**-Silver Sin **


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